Chinese idiom · 成语
才疏学浅
Meaning
Meager talent, shallow learning; limited ability.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary usageThis paired description says that one's talent is limited and one's learning shallow. The Ministry of Education dictionary records the exact wording in chapter 56 of Flowers in the Mirror (鏡花緣), where a speaker uses it while still expressing unwillingness to concede too much. Another attestation in chapter 6 of The Travels of Lao Can (老殘遊記) presents it as a reason not to accept extravagant praise.
These are verified literary uses, not evidence that either novel coined the phrase. In everyday speech it is often conventional self-deprecation rather than a literal confession of incompetence.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
我才疏学浅，这篇文章还请您多指教。
My knowledge is limited, so I would welcome your guidance on this article.
A formal, modest way to introduce one's own work; calling someone else this can insult them.