触类旁通

Pronunciation: chù lèi páng tōng Literal meaning: Touch category connect others

Origin & Usage

The appendices to the Book of Changes describe the method: draw a thing out, extend it by category, and the whole field follows. Hence touching (触) a category (类) and connecting (通) sideways (旁) — you learn one case properly and the neighbouring cases open without being learned separately. It names a capacity rather than an effort, and it is the highest thing a Chinese teacher can say about how a student learns: not that they work hard, but that teaching them one thing has turned out to teach them four.

Examples

English: "He often uses analogies to explain complex concepts, making them easier to grasp."

Chinese: 他常用类比来解释复杂的概念，帮助理解。