---
title: "Chinese Idioms about Learning And Wisdom: 31 Chengyu With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "31 Chinese idioms (chengyu) about learning and wisdom, like 人情世故 (worldly wisdom) and 聪明才智 (intelligence and ability), each with pinyin, meaning and sound. Keep them in one press or print them as flashcards."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-idioms/learning"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese idioms](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-idioms) · 31 idioms

# Chinese idioms about learning and wisdom

Chengyu whose meaning is about learning and wisdom, each with pinyin, meaning and sound.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E4%BA%BA%E6%83%85%E4%B8%96%E6%95%85%20%E8%81%AA%E6%98%8E%E6%89%8D%E6%99%BA%20%E5%AD%A6%E4%BB%A5%E8%87%B4%E7%94%A8%20%E8%87%AA%E7%9F%A5%E4%B9%8B%E6%98%8E%20%E4%B8%80%E7%9F%A5%E5%8D%8A%E8%A7%A3%20%E7%BE%A4%E7%AD%96%E7%BE%A4%E5%8A%9B%20%E5%93%81%E5%AD%A6%E5%85%BC%E4%BC%98%20%E5%89%8D%E8%BD%A6%E4%B9%8B%E9%89%B4%20%E6%83%A9%E5%89%8D%E6%AF%96%E5%90%8E%20%E8%A7%A6%E7%B1%BB%E6%97%81%E9%80%9A%20%E8%81%AA%E6%98%8E%E4%BC%B6%E4%BF%90%20%E8%9E%8D%E4%BC%9A%E8%B4%AF%E9%80%9A%20%E5%B0%8A%E5%B8%88%E9%87%8D%E9%81%93%20%E8%89%AF%E5%B8%88%E7%9B%8A%E5%8F%8B%20%E6%89%8B%E4%B8%8D%E9%87%8A%E5%8D%B7%20%E5%AD%A6%E5%AF%8C%E4%BA%94%E8%BD%A6%20%E5%8F%96%E9%95%BF%E8%A1%A5%E7%9F%AD%20%E7%9C%89%E9%AB%98%E7%9C%BC%E4%BD%8E%20%E5%BC%84%E5%B7%A7%E6%88%90%E6%8B%99%20%E5%9B%A0%E5%B0%8F%E5%A4%B1%E5%A4%A7%20%E5%85%AC%E4%BA%8B%E5%85%AC%E5%8A%9E%20%E6%95%99%E5%AD%A6%E7%9B%B8%E9%95%BF%20%E5%AD%A6%E6%97%A0%E6%AD%A2%E5%A2%83%20%E7%9C%9F%E6%89%8D%E5%AE%9E%E5%AD%A6%20%E8%87%AA%E4%BD%9C%E8%81%AA%E6%98%8E%20%E6%89%8D%E5%AD%90%E4%BD%B3%E4%BA%BA%20%E5%A4%A7%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%A5%E6%84%9A%20%E7%84%9A%E4%B9%A6%E5%9D%91%E5%84%92%20%E4%BA%BA%E6%89%80%E5%85%B1%E7%9F%A5%20%E4%B9%A6%E9%A6%99%E9%97%A8%E7%AC%AC%20%E7%A7%80%E5%A4%96%E6%85%A7%E4%B8%AD)

- [人情世故rénqíng-shìgùworldly wisdom](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%BA%E6%83%85%E4%B8%96%E6%95%85)
- [聪明才智cōngmíng-cáizhìintelligence and ability](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%81%AA%E6%98%8E%E6%89%8D%E6%99%BA)
- [学以致用xuéyǐ-zhìyòngto put what one learns into practice](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%A6%E4%BB%A5%E8%87%B4%E7%94%A8)
- [自知之明zìzhī-zhīmíngself-knowledge](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%87%AA%E7%9F%A5%E4%B9%8B%E6%98%8E)
- [一知半解yīzhī-bànjiěto have a superficial knowledge](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%80%E7%9F%A5%E5%8D%8A%E8%A7%A3)
- [群策群力qúncè-qúnlìto pool wisdom and efforts](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%BE%A4%E7%AD%96%E7%BE%A4%E5%8A%9B)
- [品学兼优pǐnxué-jiānyōuexcellent in both character and studies](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%93%81%E5%AD%A6%E5%85%BC%E4%BC%98)
- [前车之鉴qiánchē-zhījiànlesson learned from others' mistakes](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%89%8D%E8%BD%A6%E4%B9%8B%E9%89%B4)
- [惩前毖后chéngqián-bìhòuto learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%83%A9%E5%89%8D%E6%AF%96%E5%90%8E)
- [触类旁通chùlèi-pángtōngto learn by analogy](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%A7%A6%E7%B1%BB%E6%97%81%E9%80%9A)
- [聪明伶俐cōngmíng-línglìbright and clever](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%81%AA%E6%98%8E%E4%BC%B6%E4%BF%90)
- [融会贯通rónghuì-guàntōngto master something thoroughly by integrating what one has learned](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%9E%8D%E4%BC%9A%E8%B4%AF%E9%80%9A)
- [尊师重道zūnshī-zhòngdàoto respect teachers and their teachings](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%8A%E5%B8%88%E9%87%8D%E9%81%93)
- [良师益友liángshī-yìyǒugood teacher and helpful friend](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%89%AF%E5%B8%88%E7%9B%8A%E5%8F%8B)
- [手不释卷shǒubù-shìjuànalways reading](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%89%8B%E4%B8%8D%E9%87%8A%E5%8D%B7)
- [学富五车xuéfù-wǔchēvery learned](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%A6%E5%AF%8C%E4%BA%94%E8%BD%A6)
- [取长补短qǔcháng-bǔduǎnto learn from others' strengths to offset one's weaknesses](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8F%96%E9%95%BF%E8%A1%A5%E7%9F%AD)
- [眉高眼低méigāo-yǎndīthe art of reading people's faces](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9C%89%E9%AB%98%E7%9C%BC%E4%BD%8E)
- [弄巧成拙nòngqiǎo-chéngzhuōto try to be clever and end up with a blunder](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%BC%84%E5%B7%A7%E6%88%90%E6%8B%99)
- [因小失大yīnxiǎo-shīdàpenny-wise and pound-foolish](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9B%A0%E5%B0%8F%E5%A4%B1%E5%A4%A7)
- [公事公办gōngshì-gōngbànto do things by the book](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%AC%E4%BA%8B%E5%85%AC%E5%8A%9E)
- [教学相长jiàoxué-xiāngzhǎngteaching and learning help each other](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%95%99%E5%AD%A6%E7%9B%B8%E9%95%BF)
- [学无止境xuéwúzhǐjìngthere is no end to learning](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%A6%E6%97%A0%E6%AD%A2%E5%A2%83)
- [真才实学zhēncái-shíxuégenuine talent and learning](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9C%9F%E6%89%8D%E5%AE%9E%E5%AD%A6)
- [自作聪明zìzuò-cōngmíngto think oneself clever](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%87%AA%E4%BD%9C%E8%81%AA%E6%98%8E)
- [才子佳人cáizǐ-jiāréngifted scholar and beautiful lady](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%89%8D%E5%AD%90%E4%BD%B3%E4%BA%BA)
- [大智若愚dàzhì-ruòyúa wise man may appear foolish](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%A4%A7%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%A5%E6%84%9A)
- [焚书坑儒fénshū-kēngrúburning books and burying scholars alive](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%84%9A%E4%B9%A6%E5%9D%91%E5%84%92)
- [人所共知rénsuǒ-gòngzhīcommon knowledge](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%BA%E6%89%80%E5%85%B1%E7%9F%A5)
- [书香门第shūxiāng-méndìscholarly family](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B9%A6%E9%A6%99%E9%97%A8%E7%AC%AC)
- [秀外慧中xiùwài-huìzhōngbeautiful and intelligent](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%A7%80%E5%A4%96%E6%85%A7%E4%B8%AD)

## What is a Chinese idiom about learning and wisdom?

人情世故 (rénqíng-shìgù): worldly wisdom. It is the most common of the 31 on this page.

## What is a chengyu?

A set phrase, nearly always four characters, that packs a story or an image into a few words: 画蛇添足, “drawing legs on a snake”, means spoiling something by overdoing it. Chinese speakers use them in writing, speeches and everyday talk.

## More free tools

- [Chengyu quiz](https://mandarinthewild.com/chengyu-quiz)
- [Every chengyu](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/chengyu)
- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

Chengyu from the Xinhua idiom list; meanings from our own dictionary. Open one for its characters and real sentences.