Shareables · HSK 5 · 文 · Culture
成语 · 温故知新
Warm up the old to know the new — Confucius on why review is not a chore.
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温故知新wēn gù zhī xīnto review the old and learn something new from it
逐字 · CHARACTER BY CHARACTER
| Character | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 温 | wēn | to warm; to review |
| 故 | gù | old, former |
| 知 | zhī | to know |
| 新 | xīn | new |
温 is the character for warming something through — the same word used for warming wine. Reviewing is not repeating; it is holding old material long enough for something new to come out of it.
原文 · THE LINE
Wēn gù ér zhī xīn, kě yǐ wéi shī yǐ.温故而知新，可以为师矣。Review the old and know the new — then you can be a teacher.
《论语·为政》· Confucius
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- 庄子 · 庄周梦蝶 — Zhuang Zhou dreamt he was a butterfly — and woke unsure which way round it was.
- 能力与成就 · Ability, Achievement & Excellence — The 11 words of Ability, Achievement & Excellence, with readings.
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- 文艺与古典文化 · Arts, Literature & Classical Culture — The 10 words of Arts, Literature & Classical Culture, with readings.
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