虚怀若谷
虚怀若谷 (xū huái ruò gǔ) literally means “empty heart like valley” and expresses “stay humble and open”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: xu huai ruo gu, xu huai ruo gu,虚怀若谷 meaning, 虚怀若谷 in english
Stay humble and open
Pronunciation: xū huái ruò gǔ Literal meaning: Empty heart like valley
Origin & Usage
The Daodejing describes the man of old as being, among other things, open as a valley. A chest (怀) held empty (虚) like (若) a valley (谷) takes in whatever comes down into it, and the emptiness is a capacity rather than a lack. Chinese moral vocabulary is consistent about this: the chest is where tolerance is located, so a person who cannot hear disagreement is narrow-chested. The phrase praises someone senior enough to be entitled to an opinion who still listens as though they were not.
Examples
English: "The professor welcomed new ideas from his students"
Chinese: 教授欢迎学生们提出新的想法
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
金玉良言
jīn yù liáng yán
Valuable, lasting advice
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见贤思齐
jiàn xián sī qí
Learn from the worthy
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坐怀不乱
zuò huái bù luàn
Maintain perfect integrity despite temptation
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饮水思源
yǐn shuǐ sī yuán
Remember your roots
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心安理得
xīn ān lǐ dé
Feel at ease with a clear conscience
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温故知新
wēn gù zhī xīn
Learn new through studying old
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三思而行
sān sī ér xíng
Weigh it before you move
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集思广益
jí sī guǎng yì
Gather wisdom from many
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 虚怀若谷 mean in English?
虚怀若谷 (xū huái ruò gǔ) literally translates to “Empty heart like valley” and is used to express “Stay humble and open”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 虚怀若谷 used?
Situation: The professor welcomed new ideas from his students
What is the pinyin for 虚怀若谷?
The pinyin pronunciation for 虚怀若谷 is “xū huái ruò gǔ”.
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