Chinese idiom · 成语
三顾茅庐
Meaning
Three visits to the thatched hut; to earnestly seek talent.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical accountIn his Chu Shi Biao (出師表), preserved in Sanguo Zhi (三國志), volume 35, Zhuge Liang recalls Liu Bei personally visiting his thatched dwelling three times and consulting him about the age’s affairs. He says this consideration moved him to promise his service. The biography also records Xu Shu advising Liu Bei to visit Zhuge Liang rather than summon him, followed by three journeys before their meeting.
The later Romance of the Three Kingdoms elaborates the visits, but the core account predates the novel by many centuries. The idiom praises a sincere and respectful effort to recruit ability, not just repeated calls to any house.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
为了请这位工程师加入，创始人三顾茅庐，亲自谈了好几次。
To recruit this engineer, the founder made repeated personal appeals.
Emphasizes sincere respect for someone’s abilities; the modern count need not be exactly three.