三顾茅庐sān gù máo lúto make earnest and repeated requests of sb

1. 1.

   to make earnest and repeated requests of sbidiom

Figurative meaning

To make earnest and repeated requests of someone.

Literal meaning

To make three visits to the thatched cottage.

• 三three
• 顾not compositional here
• 茅reeds
• 庐hut

The story

Zhuge Liang wrote that the late emperor did not look down on him as lowly, humbled himself, visited him three times in his thatched hut, and asked him about the affairs of the age; moved by this, he promised to serve the late emperor.

三顾茅庐 is fairly formal and can describe sincere, repeated efforts to invite someone, often a skilled person, to join you.

1. HSK 5

   为了请这位专家加入公司，经理三顾茅庐。

   Wèile qǐng zhè wèi zhuānjiā jiārù gōngsī, jīnglǐ sān gù máo lú.

   To get this expert to join the company, the manager asked him earnestly again and again.

2. HSK 4

   他三顾茅庐，老师终于答应了。

   Tā sān gù máo lú, lǎoshī zhōngyú dāying le.

   He made earnest, repeated requests, and the teacher finally agreed.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   听说王老师来我们学校了？

   Tīngshuō Wáng lǎoshī lái wǒmen xuéxiào le?

   I heard Teacher Wang came to our school?

2. 
   Speaker B:

   是啊，校长请了他好几次。

   Shì a, xiàozhǎng qǐng le tā hǎo jǐ cì.

   Yes, the principal invited him several times.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   他一开始不想来吗？

   Tā yì kāishǐ bù xiǎng lái ma?

   He didn't want to come at first?

4. 
   Speaker B:

   对，校长三顾茅庐，他才答应。

   Duì, xiàozhǎng sān gù máo lú, tā cái dāying.

   Right, the principal asked him earnestly again and again before he agreed.

1. 1.What does 三顾茅庐 mean?

   ATo make earnest and repeated requests of sbBTo build a small houseCTo visit friends for fun
2. 2.Which sentence uses 三顾茅庐 correctly?

   A为了请这位专家加入公司，经理三顾茅庐。B这个菜很三顾茅庐。C他三顾茅庐地笑了。
3. 3.Which word fits best? 为了请他来工作，老板____，他终于答应了。 (To get him to come work here, the boss asked him earnestly again and again, and he finally agreed.)

   A三顾茅庐B一箭双雕C马马虎虎

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Related idioms

• 举一反三jǔ yī fǎn sānto raise one and infer threeHSK 7–9
• 后顾之忧hòu gù zhī yōufears of trouble in the rear (idiom); family worries (obstructing freedom of action)HSK 7–9
• 朝三暮四zhāo sān mù sìto change sth that is already settled uponHSK 7–9
• 一年一度yī nián yī dù(idiom) annual; once a yearNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus
• 一箭双雕yī jiàn shuāng diāoto kill two birds with one stoneNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus
• 一见钟情yī jiàn zhōng qíngto fall in love at first sightNot on the HSK 3.0 syllabus

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