瘦羊博士
瘦羊博士 (shòu yáng bó shì) literally means “the scholar of the thin sheep” and expresses “a modest person who yields to others”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: shou yang bo shi, shou yang bo shi,瘦羊博士 meaning, 瘦羊博士 in english
A modest person who yields to others
Pronunciation: shòu yáng bó shì Literal meaning: The scholar of the thin sheep
Origin & Usage
The story is recorded in the Eastern Han court history Dongguan Hanji (《东观汉记》) and cited in the commentary to the Book of the Later Han. During the Jianwu reign (25–56 CE), the emperor gave each court scholar (博士) a sheep at the year-end La festival. The sheep varied in size and fatness, and the scholars argued over how to divide them — some wanted to slaughter them and split the meat, others to draw lots. The scholar Zhen Yu (甄宇) found the quarrel shameful, so he simply took the thinnest sheep for himself, and the dispute ended. When the emperor later asked where 'the thin-sheep scholar' was, the name stuck across the capital. The idiom praises quiet self-restraint that settles a conflict better than any argument.
Examples
English: "When the bonuses were handed out he took the smallest share and ended the argument — a true thin-sheep scholar."
Chinese: 分奖品时他主动挑了最小的一份，大家都称他是瘦羊博士。
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 瘦羊博士 mean in English?
瘦羊博士 (shòu yáng bó shì) literally translates to “The scholar of the thin sheep” and is used to express “A modest person who yields to others”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 瘦羊博士 used?
Situation: When the bonuses were handed out he took the smallest share and ended the argument — a true thin-sheep scholar.
What is the pinyin for 瘦羊博士?
The pinyin pronunciation for 瘦羊博士 is “shòu yáng bó shì”.