闻一知十 — “To infer much from little”
闻一知十 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to infer much from little”. To be quick at grasping implications and drawing inferences; to learn one and know ten. Literally, “Hear one, know ten”.
闻一知十 Pronunciation and Pinyin
闻一知十 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 闻一知十
Origin and Story of 闻一知十
Zigong was a gifted and favored disciple of Confucius. When Confucius traveled among the various states, Zigong often accompanied him and handled diplomatic matters.
On one occasion, the State of Qi was preparing to attack the State of Lu. Confucius wished to send a disciple to assist Lu, and many students volunteered. Ultimately, Confucius chose Zigong. Zigong successfully fulfilled his mission, saving the small state of Lu from danger.
Yet, Confucius still believed Zigong was not as capable as Yan Hui. Confucius once asked Zigong, "Between you and Yan Hui, who is superior?"
Zigong humbly replied, "How can I compare myself to Yan Hui? Yan Hui, upon hearing one point, can understand ten, whereas I, hearing one point, can only infer two." Confucius, hearing this, concurred with Zigong and lamented, "You are not his equal, and neither am I!"
Idioms Related to 闻一知十
Synonyms of 闻一知十
More idioms starting with 闻
- wén闻míng名bù不rú如jiàn见miàn面seeing is believing
- wén闻míng名sàng丧dǎn胆strike terror into hearts
- wén闻míng名xiá遐ěr迩famous far and near
- wén闻yē噎fèi废shí食give up due to minor fear
- wén闻shēng声xiāng相sī思long for someone based on reputation
- wén闻chǒng宠ruò若jīng惊overwhelmed by an unexpected favor
- wén闻suǒ所bù不wén闻hear something unprecedented
- wén闻suǒ所wèi未wén闻unprecedented and unheard of
- wén闻róng融dūn敦hòu厚gentle, sincere, and tolerant
- wén闻guò过zé则xǐ喜gladly accept criticism
- wén闻léi雷shī失zhù箸feign surprise to hide true feelings
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Open the tool →Questions about 闻一知十
What does 闻一知十 mean?
闻一知十 (wén yī zhī shí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to infer much from little”.
How do you pronounce 闻一知十?
闻一知十 is pronounced wén yī zhī shí in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 闻一知十 literally mean?
Literally, 闻一知十 means “Hear one, know ten”. It is used to mean “to infer much from little”.
Where does 闻一知十 come from?
闻一知十 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 闻一知十?
听到一点就能理解很多。形容善于类推。