困而学之 — “To learn when faced with difficulties or confusion”
困而学之 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to learn when faced with difficulties or confusion”. To study diligently when one is perplexed or in doubt. Literally, “To learn when perplexed or in difficulty”.
困而学之 Pronunciation and Pinyin
困而学之 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 困而学之
Origin and Story of 困而学之
During the Spring and Autumn period, after Confucius was marginalized in the political arena of the State of Lu, he led his disciples on a tour of various states. After encountering setbacks in places like Wei, Zheng, Chen, and Jin, they settled in Cai.
There, Confucius taught his disciples, emphasizing: 'A gentleman must persist in learning. If one learns when perplexed or in difficulty (困而学之), they will eventually become a sage. But if one is perplexed and does not learn, there will be no hope.' This teaching served to re-energize the morale of his disheartened disciples.
Idioms Related to 困而学之
Antonyms of 困而学之
Recommended tools
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →Questions about 困而学之
What does 困而学之 mean?
困而学之 (kùn ér xué zhī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to learn when faced with difficulties or confusion”.
How do you pronounce 困而学之?
困而学之 is pronounced kùn ér xué zhī in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 困而学之 literally mean?
Literally, 困而学之 means “to learn when perplexed or in difficulty”. It is used to mean “to learn when faced with difficulties or confusion”.
Where does 困而学之 come from?
困而学之 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 困而学之?
困：困惑。遇到困惑的时候就学习。