他山之石可以攻玉
tā​shān​zhī​shí​kě​yǐ​gōng​yù

to improve oneself through external help or talent

  • created sense approved 他山之石可以攻玉 · tā​shān​zhī​shí​kě​yǐ​gōng​yù · to improve oneself through external help or talent — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    他山之石可以攻玉

    tā​shān​zhī​shí​kě​yǐ​gōng​yù

    to improve oneself through external help or talent

    literally "the stone from another mountain can polish jade"; an idiom meaning one can improve oneself by accepting advice or criticism from others, or by utilizing external talent and resources to develop one's own organization or nation effectively

    他山之石 (literal) → 他山之石 · tā​shān​zhī​shí · advice from others 可以 (literal) → 可以 · kě​yǐ · can 攻 (literal) → 攻 · gōng · to work on 玉 (literal) → 玉 · yù · jade

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense