Chinese idiom · 成语
引经据典
Meaning
To cite classics as proof; scholarly referencing.
Character by character
Origin and story
scholarly expressionThe Book of the Later Han describes the scholar Xun Shuang appealing to the great principles of the classics to correct conduct he regarded as inconsistent with ritual. The source speaks of invoking principles and setting matters right by canonical texts; the later idiom combines those actions into a compact expression. It names a scholarly method rather than a separate dramatic origin story. Exact later uses appear in fiction, including Officialdom Unmasked, where a person's learned citations are not necessarily admired by the listener. The expression can therefore praise well-supported argument or, in context, gently criticize an excessive display of book learning.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
老师讲传统节日时引经据典，还把原文投在屏幕上。
When explaining traditional festivals, the teacher cites classical sources and even projects the original passages on the screen.
Means drawing on authoritative texts or classical allusions; citations still need to be relevant and accurate.