Chinese idiom · 成语
余勇可贾
Meaning
Spare courage for sale; untapped strength remains.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical accountThe Zuo Commentary, Duke Cheng's second year, describes Gao Gu of Qi making a daring raid against Jin's forces. He entered their formation, struck a man with a stone, captured him, and took his chariot. After attaching a piece of mulberry wood, he returned through Qi's camp displaying his exploit.
Gao Gu then boasted that anyone wanting courage could buy his surplus. The boast treats bravery as merchandise, with 贾 read gǔ, 'sell,' not jiǎ. The familiar idiom condenses that remark: even after exertion, someone still has strength or fighting spirit in reserve. The source is a warrior's confident claim, not proof of unlimited endurance.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
打完两场比赛，他仍觉得余勇可贾，还想参加接下来的双打。
After two matches, he still felt he had energy to spare and wanted to enter the upcoming doubles match.
A literary, sometimes playful way to say that someone still has energy or courage in reserve.