Chinese Idiom: 交口称誉 (Jiao Kou Cheng Yu)
English Translation: Everyone speaks highly of
pīn yīn: jiāo kǒu chēng yù
Idiom Meaning: This idiom means that everyone praises or speaks highly of someone, indicating widespread and unanimous admiration.
Historical Source: 《柳子厚墓志铭》 (Epitaph for Liu Zihou), written by the Tang Dynasty scholar Han Yu.
Idiom Story:
Liu Zongyuan (字子厚), who passed away in 819 AD, was a renowned Tang Dynasty scholar and writer. After his death, the famous Tang scholar Han Yu wrote an epitaph to commemorate his life. In this epitaph, Han Yu highlighted Liu Zongyuan’s exceptional qualities and achievements.
The epitaph states:
“子厚少精敏，无不通达。逮其父时，虽少年，已自成人，能取进士第，崭然见头角，众谓柳氏有子矣……诸公要人，争欲令出我门下，交口荐誉之。”
Translation:
“Zihou (Liu Zongyuan) was intelligent and perceptive from a young age, understanding many things thoroughly. Even while his father was still alive, though young, he had already matured and passed the imperial examination with distinction. His talents were immediately recognized, and people said that the Liu family had a great successor. As he grew older, his wisdom and integrity gained him great respect, and influential figures competed to recommend him to official positions, unanimously praising and admiring him.”
This excerpt demonstrates how Liu Zongyuan’s extraordinary talents and character were widely recognized and praised by all. As a result, the phrase “交口称誉” was coined to describe a situation where someone is praised and admired by everyone.
