Chinese begins with basics like characters, builds up to words, and reaches idioms. This free resource introduces advanced idioms like 「才大難用」, with details below.
The idiom 「才大難用」 is the focus of our introduction today, and its explanation and application are listed below.
The original meaning is that great ability is difficult to use for small things. Later it was used to describe the situation of having talent but not being recognized. Same as “great talent is difficult to use”.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
cái dà nán yòng
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
choi4 daai6 naan4 yung6
The world of Chinese idioms is massive, filled with countless expressions, each with distinct meanings and applications. These materials are here to support you as you improve your Chinese skills.
