每天成语
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他山之石

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: tā shān zhī shí
  • English Translation: Stones from other mountains (learning from others' experience)
  • Idiom Composition: 「他」（Other or another）＋「山」（Mountain）＋「之」（A particle indicating possession, similar to 'of'）＋「石」（Stone (specifically a whetstone used for polishing jade in this context)）
  • Meaning: Literally, stones from another mountain that can be used as whetstones to polish one's own jade. Figuratively, it refers to the idea that the opinions, experiences, or even the mistakes of others can serve as a valuable reference for one's own self-improvement.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「他山之石」 contains the following nuances:

  • Learning from the Outside: The idiom highlights the importance of not being insular. It suggests that external entities—whether they are other countries, companies, or individuals—possess knowledge that can facilitate one's own growth.
  • The Metaphor of Jade and Stone: The idiom is often part of the full phrase 他山之石，可以攻玉 (tā shān zhī shí, kě yǐ gōng yù). Here, the 'stone' represents raw external input, and the 'jade' represents one's own character or work that needs refining. Even a 'rough stone' from elsewhere can help polish a 'precious jade' to perfection.

3. Usage

「他山之石」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Business and Technology: Used when discussing the adoption of advanced foreign technology or management methods to help domestic development.
    • Example:「我们要善于利用他山之石，借鉴国外的先进经验来发展我们的经济。」
      （We should be good at utilizing stones from other mountains and learn from advanced foreign experiences to develop our economy.)
  • Academic Research: Used when applying theories or methodologies from one field to solve problems in another.
    • Example:「这篇论文引用了心理学的理论作为他山之石，为解决教育问题提供了新思路。」
      （This paper cites psychological theories as external references, providing new ideas for solving educational problems.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 他山之石，可以攻玉，竞争对手的成功案例值得我们深思。
    （As the saying goes, stones from other mountains can polish one's own jade; the success stories of competitors are worth our deep reflection.）
  2. 虽然这是别的行业的经验，但对他山之石的借鉴往往能带来意想不到的启发。
    （Although this is experience from another industry, borrowing external insights often brings unexpected inspiration.）
  3. 对于朋友的批评，我们应视作他山之石，用来完善自己。
    （Regarding criticism from friends, we should view it as valuable advice to perfect ourselves.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the Book of Songs (诗经), the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, specifically from the poem 'He Ming' (鹤鸣) in the 'Minor Court Hymns' (小雅).
  • In the original text, 'cuo' (错) and 'gong' (攻) both refer to the act of grinding or polishing jade. This reflects an ancient Chinese value of humility and the proactive pursuit of self-improvement through external observation.
  • While it can be used to mean learning from someone's mistakes (a 'counter-example'), modern Chinese usage leans heavily toward a positive interpretation: actively seeking out and adopting the strengths of others.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

他山之石 (tā shān zhī shí) is a classic idiom from the Book of Songs (诗经). It emphasizes the value of external perspectives. In modern usage, it is frequently used in a positive context to describe learning from the successful strategies, advanced technologies, or wise advice of others to refine one's own projects or character.

Idiom Essay

tā shān zhī shí
他山之石
Learning from Others' Strengths
yǒu xiē有些chéng yǔ成语，kàn qǐ lái看起来hěn很shú熟，què却zǒng总ràng让rén人bù不gǎn敢qīng yì轻易kāi kǒu开口。

Some idioms look very familiar, yet people often hesitate to use them casually.

“tā shān zhī shí他山之石”jiù shì就是qí zhōng其中yí gè一个。

“他山之石” is one of these idioms.

nǐ你dà gài大概tīng听guò过tā它，duō bàn多半shì是zài在huì yì会议shàng上，huò zhě或者mǒu某gè个zhèng shì正式de的fā yán发言lǐ里。

You’ve probably heard it, mostly in meetings or formal speeches.

“tā shān zhī shí他山之石，kě yǐ gōng yù可以攻玉”，yī jù huà一句话hěn很yǒu有fèn liàng分量，dàn但zhēn真lún轮dào到zì jǐ自己yào要yòng用de的shí hòu时候，què却cháng cháng常常yóu yù犹豫：xiàn zài现在shuō说tā它，hé合bù不hé shì合适？

“他山之石，可以攻玉” is a powerful phrase, but when it comes to using it yourself, you often hesitate: is it appropriate to say it now?

qí shí其实，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最guān jiàn关键de的，bù不zài在“xué xí学习”，ér而zài在“jiè yòng借用”。

Actually, the key to this idiom is not just “learning” but “borrowing.”

nǐ你zài在zuò做yī jiàn shì一件事，yù dào遇到píng jǐng瓶颈。

When you are working on something and hit a bottleneck,

zhè shí这时，nǐ你kàn dào看到bié rén别人de的zuò fǎ做法，yě xǔ也许lái zì来自bié de别的bù mén部门，bié de别的háng yè行业，shèn zhì甚至bié de别的guó jiā国家。

you might see how others do it—maybe from another department, industry, or even country.

nǐ你xīn lǐ心里xiǎng想de的bú shì不是“tā men他们zhēn真lì hài厉害”，ér shì而是：zhè ge这个fāng fǎ方法suī rán虽然bú shì不是wèi为wǒ我zhǔn bèi准备de的，dàn但wǒ我yě xǔ也许néng能yòng dé shàng用得上。

What you think is not “they are amazing,” but rather: this method wasn’t made for me, but maybe I can use it.

zhòng diǎn重点cóng lái从来bù不zài在duì fāng对方yǒu有duō多hǎo好，ér而zài在tā它duì对wǒ我yǒu méi yǒu有没有yòng用。

The focus is never on how good the other party is, but on whether it works for me.

bǐ rú比如，yī jiā一家gōng sī公司xiǎng想gǎi jìn改进yuán gōng员工péi xùn培训，yǒu rén有人shuō说：“wǒ men我们kě yǐ可以kàn kàn看看nà那jiā家rì běn日本qǐ yè企业de的zuò fǎ做法，dàng zuò当作tā shān zhī shí他山之石。”

For example, a company wants to improve employee training, and someone says, “We can look at that Japanese company’s approach as 他山之石.”

zhè这jù句huà话qiáng diào强调de的bú shì不是zūn jìng尊敬huò或zàn měi赞美，ér shì而是：tā men他们de的jīng yàn经验，kě yǐ可以bèi被wǒ men我们ná lái拿来jiě jué解决zì jǐ自己de的wèn tí问题。

This phrase emphasizes not respect or praise, but that their experience can help us solve our own problems.

yòu又huò zhě或者，nǐ你zài在xiě写lùn wén论文shí时，dú读dào到yī piān一篇yán jiū研究fāng xiàng方向wán quán完全bù tóng不同de的wén zhāng文章，què却tū rán突然lǐ qīng理清le了sī lù思路。

Or when writing a paper, you read an article in a completely different field but suddenly your ideas become clearer.

zhè shí这时nǐ你shuō说tā它shì是“tā shān zhī shí他山之石”，yì si意思shì是：tā它qǐ fā启发le了wǒ我，wǒ我zhǔn bèi准备bǎ把zhè ge这个qǐ fā启发biàn chéng变成zì jǐ自己de的fāng fǎ方法。

At that moment, you call it 他山之石, meaning it inspired you and you plan to turn that inspiration into your own method.

zhèng正yīn wèi因为zhè yàng这样，zhè ge这个cí词bìng并bù不shì hé适合yòng lái用来dān chún单纯kuā rén夸人。

Because of this, the term isn’t suitable for simply praising someone.

tā它dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种hěn很míng què明确、yě也hěn很wù shí务实de的tài dù态度：bú shì不是chóng bài崇拜，bú shì不是zhào bān照搬，ér shì而是pàn duàn判断guò hòu过后，jué dìng决定“wǒ我kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个”。

It carries a clear and practical attitude: not worship, not copying, but after judgment, deciding “I can use this.”

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当nǐ你zhēn de真的dǎ suàn打算bǎ把bié rén别人de的jīng yàn经验zhuǎn huà转化wèi为zì jǐ自己de的gōng jù工具shí时，“tā shān zhī shí他山之石”cái才huì会zì rán自然dì地chū xiàn出现。

So, when you truly intend to turn someone else’s experience into your own tool, 他山之石 naturally comes up.

nà那yī kè一刻，nǐ你shuō说de的bú shì不是bié rén别人，ér shì而是nǐ你zì jǐ自己jiē xià lái接下来yào要zěn me怎么zuò做。

At that moment, you’re not talking about others, but about what you yourself will do next.

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