推陈出新 (tuī chén chū xīn) — to discard the old and introduce the new; to innovate by building on past achievements

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'weed out the old to bring forth the new' — keep what still works, discard what doesn't. Implies progress through evolution, not total rejection of tradition.

idiom
to discard the old and introduce the newto innovate by building on past achievements

Examples

  • 推陈出新，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī bú duàn tuī chén chū xīn, zài shì chǎng shàng bǎo chí le lǐng xiān dì wèi.
    This company constantly innovates, maintaining a leading position in the market.
  • 推陈出新，。
    Yì shù chuàng zuò xū yào tuī chén chū xīn, bù néng zǒng shì chóng fù lǎo tào lù.
    Artistic creation requires innovation; you can't always repeat old formulas.
  • 推陈出新，。
    Jiào yù gǎi gé yě yào tuī chén chū xīn, cái néng shì yìng xīn shí dài de xū qiú.
    Educational reform also needs to innovate in order to meet the needs of the new era.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

推陈
推tuīpush out陈chénold
动宾Verb + object
出新
出chūbring out新xīnnew
动宾Verb + object

推陈 and 出新 pair pushing out the old with bringing forth the new.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī推tuī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is a hand, and the right side 隹 gives the sound; the character shows pushing with the hand.

Open 推 →

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 陳; 陈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùmound
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng陳chén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 陳 pairs 阜 (mound) with 東 as a sound component.

Open 陈 →

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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