Chinese idiom · 成语
才高八斗
Meaning
Talent worth eight bushels; extraordinary ability.
Character by character
Origin and story
Traditional literary anecdoteA saying attributed to Xie Lingyun divides all the world's literary talent into ten dou: Cao Zhi receives eight, Xie himself one, and everyone else shares the remaining one. The anecdote is recorded in the Song collection Shi Changtan under 八斗之才. Thus the person awarded eight parts is Cao Zhi, not Xie Lingyun.
The measure is an extravagant metaphor, not a literal test of intelligence, and the surviving later account should not be treated as a contemporary transcript of Xie's words. 才高八斗 developed into an emphatic compliment for outstanding talent, especially literary ability and learning.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
读完她的小说，我才明白大家为什么称她才高八斗。
After reading her novel, I understood why everyone calls her extraordinarily talented.
An elevated compliment, especially for literary talent rather than every practical skill.