困而不学 — “Perplexed but unwilling to learn”
困而不学 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be perplexed or confused but unwilling to make an effort to learn or understand; to remain ignorant despite encountering difficulties”. Literally, “Perplexed but unwilling to learn”.
困而不学 Pronunciation and Pinyin
困而不学 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 困而不学
Origin and Story of 困而不学
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius, after being ostracized from the political arena of the State of Lu, traveled with his disciples through various states. After facing setbacks in places like Wei, Zheng, Chen, and Jin, they settled in Cai.
There, Confucius taught his disciples: A gentleman must persevere in learning. He who learns when perplexed (困而学之) will become a sage, but he who is perplexed and yet unwilling to learn (困而不学) will have no hope. This teaching greatly re-energized his disciples' morale.
Idioms Related to 困而不学
Antonyms of 困而不学
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Open the tool →Questions about 困而不学
What does 困而不学 mean?
困而不学 (kùn ér bù xué) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be perplexed or confused but unwilling to make an effort to learn or understand; to remain ignorant despite encountering difficulties”.
How do you pronounce 困而不学?
困而不学 is pronounced kùn ér bù xué in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 困而不学 literally mean?
Literally, 困而不学 means “Perplexed but unwilling to learn”. It is used to mean “to be perplexed or confused but unwilling to make an effort to learn or understand; to remain ignorant despite encountering difficulties”.
Where does 困而不学 come from?
困而不学 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 困而不学?
困：困惑，不明白。困惑不明白却不肯学习。