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长一智 (zhǎng yí zhì) — to gain wisdom (from a setback); to learn a lesson (from experience)

Definition

Part of the set phrase 吃一堑，长一智: learning a lesson through hardship. Always appears with 吃一堑 or similar context — on its own it just means 'gain wisdom'.

verb
to gain wisdom (from a setback)to learn a lesson (from experience)

Examples

  • ，长一智。
    Chī yí qiàn, zhǎng yí zhì.
    A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.
  • 长一智。
    Zhè cì shī bài ràng tā zhǎng yí zhì.
    This failure made him gain wisdom.
  • 长一智。
    Cóng cuò wù zhōng zhǎng yí zhì shì chéng zhǎng de bì jīng zhī lù.
    Gaining wisdom from mistakes is a necessary path to growth.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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

The early form 智 used 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to pass knowledge to a child.

Open 智 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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