披沙拣金
披沙拣金 (pī shā jiǎn jīn) literally means “sift sand pick gold” and expresses “find value among worthless”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: pi sha jian jin, pi sha jian jin,披沙拣金 meaning, 披沙拣金 in english
Find value among worthless
Pronunciation: pī shā jiǎn jīn
Literal meaning: Sift sand pick gold
Origin & Usage
This idiom emerged from gold panning techniques along ancient China's river systems, where sifting (披) through sand (沙) to pick out (拣) gold (金) required patience and discernment. Originally used in Han Dynasty texts to describe the careful evaluation of historical documents, it gained prominence during the Song Dynasty's revival of classical scholarship. The metaphor captured both the tedious nature of the work and the value of the discoveries. Modern usage applies to any careful selection process - from research methodology to talent recruitment - where finding value requires sorting through abundant but less valuable material.
Examples
English: "The talent scout had a knack for finding promising athletes in small rural schools"
Chinese: 星探有在小乡村学校发现有潜力运动员的独特能力
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 披沙拣金 mean in English?
披沙拣金 (pī shā jiǎn jīn) literally translates to “Sift sand pick gold” and is used to express “Find value among worthless”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 披沙拣金 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving find value among worthless.
What is the pinyin for 披沙拣金?
The pinyin pronunciation for 披沙拣金 is “pī shā jiǎn jīn”.