江郎才尽
江郎才尽 (jiāng láng cái jìn) literally means “jiang yan's talent exhausted” and expresses “creativity permanently dried up”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: jiang lang cai jin, jiang lang cai jin,江郎才尽 meaning, 江郎才尽 in english
Creativity permanently dried up
Pronunciation: jiāng láng cái jìn Literal meaning: Jiang Yan's talent exhausted
Origin & Usage
Jiang Yan was the outstanding writer of his generation and then, in middle age, simply stopped producing anything good. The History of the Southern Dynasties explains it with a dream: the poet Guo Pu appeared to him and asked for his brush back, saying Jiang had had it for years — and after Jiang handed over a five-coloured brush, he never wrote well again. So Master Jiang's (江郎) talent is spent (才尽). Anyone whose later work does not match their earlier, and it is not kind.
Examples
English: "The once-brilliant writer seemed to have lost his creative abilities"
Chinese: 这位曾经才华横溢的作家似乎已经失去了创作能力
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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半壁江山
bàn bì jiāng shān
Partial loss or retention
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人尽其才
rén jìn qí cái
Maximize individual potential
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戛然而止
jiá rán ér zhǐ
Come to an abrupt halt
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不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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身不由己
shēn bù yóu jǐ
Forced to act against will
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披沙拣金
pī shā jiǎn jīn
Find value among worthless
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深谋远虑
shēn móu yuǎn lǜ
Plan far ahead
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 江郎才尽 mean in English?
江郎才尽 (jiāng láng cái jìn) literally translates to “Jiang Yan's talent exhausted” and is used to express “Creativity permanently dried up”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 江郎才尽 used?
Situation: The once-brilliant writer seemed to have lost his creative abilities
What is the pinyin for 江郎才尽?
The pinyin pronunciation for 江郎才尽 is “jiāng láng cái jìn”.