jiànduōshíguǎng: 见多识广 - Worldly, Experienced, and Knowledgeable

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• Summary: Discover the meaning of the Chinese idiom (chengyu) 见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng), a term used to praise someone who is worldly, experienced, and knowledgeable. This page breaks down its cultural significance, practical usage, and provides numerous example sentences to help you understand how to compliment someone for their broad life experience and wisdom in authentic Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiàn duō shí guǎng
• Part of Speech: Idiom (Chengyu), Adjective
• HSK Level: Advanced / Post-HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To have seen much and to have broad knowledge; experienced and knowledgeable.
• In a Nutshell: 见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng) is a highly positive four-character idiom used to describe someone who is wise and well-informed not just from books, but from extensive real-world experience. It literally means “seen much, knowledge broad.” Think of a seasoned traveler, a wise grandparent, or a senior mentor who has encountered many different people, places, and situations. Using this term is a sign of deep respect for their accumulated wisdom.

• 见 (jiàn): To see, to witness, to encounter.
• 多 (duō): Many, much, a lot.
• 识 (shí): To know, knowledge, experience.
• 广 (guǎng): Wide, broad, extensive.

These four characters combine quite literally to paint a picture: someone who has seen a lot (见多) has therefore acquired broad knowledge (识广). The cause (seeing much) and effect (knowing broadly) are elegantly linked in one compact phrase.

In Chinese culture, wisdom gained through direct experience is often valued as highly as, if not more than, purely academic knowledge. 见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng) perfectly encapsulates this value. It reflects the idea that true understanding comes from engaging with the world, observing different cultures, and navigating various life challenges. A good Western cultural comparison is the difference between being “book-smart” and “street-smart” or “worldly.” However, 见多识广 elegantly combines these concepts. It implies that a person has not only the “street smarts” from their experiences but has also synthesized these experiences into a broad and coherent worldview (“book smarts”). It’s a compliment often paid to respected elders, seasoned professionals, and extensive travelers, acknowledging that their perspective is deeper and more nuanced because of the sheer breadth of what they've witnessed in life.

This idiom is common in both spoken and written Chinese and carries a formal, respectful tone. It's a powerful compliment.

• Praising Elders and Mentors: This is the most common usage. It's a perfect way to show respect for a teacher, a grandparent, or a senior colleague's wisdom.
• Describing Well-Traveled People: If someone has traveled extensively and can share insights from their journeys, they are a prime candidate to be described as 见多识广.
• Humble Self-Reference: A person might use it in the negative to be humble, saying something like “我还不算见多识广” (wǒ hái bù suàn jiàn duō shí guǎng), meaning “I wouldn't consider myself very experienced yet.”
• Connotation and Formality: The connotation is entirely positive and admiring. While it can be used in conversations among friends, its slightly literary flavor makes it suitable for more formal settings, speeches, and written articles as well.

• Example 1:
  • 我爷爷去过很多国家，真是个见多识广的人。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yéye qùguò hěnduō guójiā, zhēnshi gè jiàn duō shí guǎng de rén.
  • English: My grandpa has been to many countries; he's truly a worldly and knowledgeable person.
  • Analysis: A classic example of using the idiom to describe an elder who has traveled extensively.
• Example 2:
  • 你应该多跟王教授聊聊，他见多识广，能给你很多好建议。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yīnggāi duō gēn Wáng jiàoshòu liáoliáo, tā jiàn duō shí guǎng, néng gěi nǐ hěnduō hǎo jiànyì.
  • English: You should chat more with Professor Wang. He's very experienced and can give you a lot of good advice.
  • Analysis: Here, the term is used to praise a mentor and suggest that their broad experience makes their advice valuable.
• Example 3:
  • 在我们团队里，李经理最见多识广，处理复杂问题总有办法。
  • Pinyin: Zài wǒmen tuánduì lǐ, Lǐ jīnglǐ zuì jiàn duō shí guǎng, chǔlǐ fùzá wèntí zǒng yǒu bànfǎ.
  • English: On our team, Manager Li is the most experienced and knowledgeable; he always has a way to handle complex problems.
  • Analysis: This shows its use in a professional context, linking broad experience to practical problem-solving skills.
• Example 4:
  • 年轻人多出去走走，才能变得见多识广。
  • Pinyin: Niánqīng rén duō chūqù zǒuzou, cáinéng biànde jiàn duō shí guǎng.
  • English: Young people should get out and see more of the world in order to become more worldly and knowledgeable.
  • Analysis: This sentence frames 见多识广 as a desirable goal or state to be achieved through action (traveling, experiencing things).
• Example 5:
  • 跟您这位见多识广的前辈比，我还差得远呢。
  • Pinyin: Gēn nín zhè wèi jiàn duō shí guǎng de qiánbèi bǐ, wǒ hái chà de yuǎn ne.
  • English: Compared to a vastly experienced senior like you, I still have a long way to go.
  • Analysis: A polite and humble way to compliment someone while downplaying one's own experience. “前辈 (qiánbèi)” means senior or elder.
• Example 6:
  • 读万卷书，不如行万里路。旅行真的能让人见多识广。
  • Pinyin: Dú wàn juàn shū, bùrú xíng wàn lǐ lù. Lǚxíng zhēn de néng ràng rén jiàn duō shí guǎng.
  • English: Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Traveling can really make a person experienced and knowledgeable.
  • Analysis: This connects the idiom to a famous Chinese proverb, reinforcing the cultural value of experiential learning over purely academic learning.
• Example 7:
  • 作为一名记者，他有机会接触各行各业的人，因此非常见多识广。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yī míng jìzhě, tā yǒu jīhuì jiēchù gè háng gè yè de rén, yīncǐ fēicháng jiàn duō shí guǎng.
  • English: As a journalist, he has the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life, so he is exceptionally knowledgeable and worldly.
  • Analysis: This highlights that the experience doesn't have to be from travel alone; interacting with a wide variety of people also leads to this quality.
• Example 8:
  • 他虽然年纪不大，但是因为从小就跟着父母在世界各地生活，所以显得很见多识广。
  • Pinyin: Tā suīrán niánjì bù dà, dànshì yīnwèi cóngxiǎo jiù gēnzhe fùmǔ zài shìjiè gèdì shēnghuó, suǒyǐ xiǎnde hěn jiàn duō shí guǎng.
  • English: Although he is not old, he seems very experienced and knowledgeable because he lived all over the world with his parents since childhood.
  • Analysis: This example clarifies that age isn't a strict prerequisite; the breadth of experience is what truly matters.
• Example 9:
  • 想要成为一个见多识广的领导者，就必须保持开放的心态。
  • Pinyin: Xiǎng yào chéngwéi yīgè jiàn duō shí guǎng de lǐngdǎo zhě, jiù bìxū bǎochí kāifàng de xīntài.
  • English: If you want to become a knowledgeable and experienced leader, you must maintain an open mind.
  • Analysis: This links the quality of being 见多识广 to a personal trait (open-mindedness), suggesting it's not just a passive result of experience but an active mindset.
• Example 10:
  • 这位历史学家不仅知识渊博，而且实地考察过很多古迹，可以说是一位见多识广的学者。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wèi lìshǐ xuéjiā bùjǐn zhīshì yuānbó, érqiě shídì kǎocháguò hěnduō gǔjī, kěyǐ shuō shì yī wèi jiàn duō shí guǎng de xuézhě.
  • English: This historian is not only profoundly learned but has also done fieldwork at many ancient sites; one could say he is a truly experienced and worldly scholar.
  • Analysis: This sentence beautifully contrasts “知识渊博 (zhīshì yuānbó - profoundly learned)” with 见多识广, showing how they can be used together to describe someone who has both deep book knowledge and extensive real-world experience.

• Broad vs. Deep Knowledge: Be careful not to confuse 见多识广 with being an expert in a single field. A scientist might be a `专家 (zhuānjiā)` in physics, but if they've never left their lab, you wouldn't call them 见多识广. The term emphasizes *breadth* of experience across different areas of life, not *depth* in one specific topic.
  • Incorrect: 他在编程方面很见多识广。 (Tā zài biānchéng fāngmiàn hěn jiàn duō shí guǎng.)
  • Correct: 他在编程方面是位专家。 (Tā zài biānchéng fāngmiàn shì wèi zhuānjiā.)
  • Correct Use: 他去过硅谷、东京和柏林工作，在科技领域很见多识广。 (Tā qùguò Guīgǔ, Dōngjīng hé Bólín gōngzuò, zài kējì lǐngyù hěn jiàn duō shí guǎng.) → Here, the broad experience across different tech hubs justifies the term.
• Not Just About Being “Well-Read”: A common “false friend” for English speakers is the concept of being “well-read.” A person who has read a thousand books is `博览群书 (bó lǎn qún shū)`, but they might not be 见多识广 if they haven't experienced the world firsthand. The “见 (see)” character is crucial.

• 孤陋寡闻 (gū lòu guǎ wén) - Ignorant and ill-informed; the direct antonym, describing someone who has seen and heard little.
• 井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā) - A frog at the bottom of a well; a metaphor for someone with a very narrow and limited perspective (another antonym).
• 走南闯北 (zǒu nán chuǎng běi) - To travel all over the country (lit. “walk south, rush north”); an action or lifestyle that leads to becoming 见多识广.
• 见世面 (jiàn shìmiàn) - To see the world, to gain life experience; a common verb phrase describing the process of becoming 见多识广.
• 经验丰富 (jīngyàn fēngfù) - Rich in experience; a more common and less literary way to say someone is experienced, but lacks the emphasis on *breadth* of knowledge.
• 博学多才 (bó xué duō cái) - Erudite and multi-talented; describes someone with extensive knowledge, often from scholarly pursuits. It can overlap with 见多识广, but its focus is more on learning and talent.
• 知识渊博 (zhīshì yuānbó) - To have vast and profound knowledge; similar to `博学多才`, emphasizing deep academic knowledge.