囫囵吞枣
囫囵吞枣 (hú lún tūn zǎo) literally means “swallow dates whole” and expresses “accept without proper understanding”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: hu lun tun zao, hu lun tun zao,囫囵吞枣 meaning, 囫囵吞枣 in english
Accept without proper understanding
Pronunciation: hú lún tūn zǎo Literal meaning: Swallow dates whole
Origin & Usage
Someone was told that pears are good for the teeth and bad for the spleen, and jujubes good for the spleen and bad for the teeth. He proposed to chew pears without swallowing them and to swallow (吞) jujubes (枣) whole (囫囵) without chewing — at which point, the Chan collection notes, he has understood nothing. The phrase describes taking material in without breaking it down, and it is the standard Chinese criticism of memorisation that has skipped comprehension.
Examples
English: "The student memorized the formulas without understanding the underlying principles"
Chinese: 学生死记硬背公式，而不理解基本原理
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
蚁穴坏堤
yǐ xué huài dī
Small problems cause disaster
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追本溯源
zhuī běn sù yuán
Trace back to source
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纸上谈兵
zhǐ shàng tán bīng
All theory no practice
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兼收并蓄
jiān shōu bìng xù
Embrace diverse ideas inclusively
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本末倒置
běn mò dào zhì
Prioritize minor over fundamental matters
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隔靴搔痒
gé xuē sāo yǎng
Ineffective indirect solution
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过犹不及
guò yóu bù jí
Moderation in all things
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掩耳盗铃
yǎn ěr dào líng
Self-deception through ignoring reality
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 囫囵吞枣 mean in English?
囫囵吞枣 (hú lún tūn zǎo) literally translates to “Swallow dates whole” and is used to express “Accept without proper understanding”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 囫囵吞枣 used?
Situation: The student memorized the formulas without understanding the underlying principles
What is the pinyin for 囫囵吞枣?
The pinyin pronunciation for 囫囵吞枣 is “hú lún tūn zǎo”.