吴下阿蒙
Wú xià Ā Méng
an unlearned person; (negated) someone who has improved beyond recognition
Character by character
吴Wú
Wu
Wu
下xià
down in
down in
阿Ā
Ah
Ah
蒙Méng
Meng
Meng
Example
几年不见，他已经不是当年的吴下阿蒙了，说起历史来头头是道。
I hadn’t seen him for a few years, and he is no longer the know-nothing he was: he talks about history like an expert.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
The Wu general 吕蒙 took up books at 孙权’s urging; 鲁肃 marvelled that he was 非复吴下阿蒙, and 吕蒙 replied that a man three days away should be looked at with new eyes (the source of 刮目相看). Almost always negated; said of yourself it is modest: 我还是个吴下阿蒙.
Learn this in Lesson 89 · HSK 6–7: 三国：历史与小说 (The Three Kingdoms: history and the novel)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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