学到老 (xué dào lǎo) — (idiom) to keep learning throughout one's life;…

Definition

A set phrase from 活到老，学到老, meaning 'keep learning as long as you live.' Used as a motto for lifelong learning, not as a plain verb phrase.

idiom

to keep learning throughout one's lifenever too old to learn

，学到老。
Wǒ men yào huó dào lǎo, xué dào lǎo.
We should live and learn until we are old.
学到老。
Tā cóng xiǎo jiù yǎng chéng le xué dào lǎo de hǎo xí guàn.
He has cultivated the good habit of lifelong learning since childhood.
，学到老。
Yé ye shuō, rén yí dìng yào yǒu xué dào lǎo de jīng shén.
Grandpa says that one must have a spirit of lifelong learning.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

至至zhìto arrive

Sound part声符shēngfú

刀

Same sound today

到 combines 至, meaning 'to arrive', with 刀 as the sound part. The 至 part points to the idea of reaching a stopping point.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.