移樽就教

Pronunciation: yí zūn jiù jiào
Literal meaning: Move wine jar seek teaching

Origin & Usage

This humble gesture of moving (移) one's wine jar (樽) to seek (就) teaching (教) comes from a Tang Dynasty story where the young Li Bai showed his respect for the hermit-scholar Du Fu by bringing wine to learn from him. The act of bringing one's own wine represented both humility and sincerity in seeking knowledge. The imagery resonated particularly during the Song Dynasty when informal scholarly gatherings became crucial for intellectual exchange. Modern usage commends the humility to learn from others, especially across hierarchical or generational boundaries.

Examples

English: "The CEO personally visited experts to learn about new technologies"

Chinese: 首席执行官亲自拜访专家学习新技术

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