温故知新
- Literal
- review the old, know the new
- Figurative
- To review what one has already learned and gain fresh understanding from it; revisiting the old reveals something new.
Where does 温故知新 come from?
The phrase comes from the Analects of Confucius, in the chapter "Weizheng" (On Governance). There Confucius says: "One who can gain new understanding by reviewing the old is fit to be a teacher of others" (温故而知新，可以为师矣). It is not a narrative tale but a maxim by Confucius himself on learning: merely memorizing what is already known is not enough; true knowledge means returning to what one has learned and drawing fresh insight from it. For this reason it became one of the most frequently cited teaching principles of the Confucian tradition.
Source (出处): 《论语·为政》
How is 温故知新 used? Two examples
- 考试以前，我每天都温故知新，复习课本上学过的内容。
Before the exam, every day I review the old to learn something new, going back over what we already covered in the textbook.
- 老师说，学习不能只往前赶，也要温故知新。
The teacher says that studying isn't just about rushing ahead; you also have to revisit the old to learn the new.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
