孤陋寡聞

See also: 孤陋寡闻

Chinese

lone; lonely
 
low; humble; plain
low; humble; plain; ugly; mean; vulgar
few; widowed
 
hear; news; celebrated
hear; news; celebrated; sniff at
trad. (孤陋寡聞)
simp. (孤陋寡闻)

Etymology

From the Book of Rites, Book 18 (《禮記·學記》):

然後不勝然後勤苦不孫孤陋寡聞 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
然后不胜然后勤苦不孙孤陋寡闻 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Book of Rites, c. 4th – 2nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Fā ránhòu jìn, zé hàngé ér bùshèng; shí guò ránhòu xué, zé qínkǔ ér nánchéng; záshī ér bùxùn, zé huàiluàn ér bùxiū; dú xué ér wú yǒu, zé gūlòu ér guǎwén; yàn péng nì qí shī; yàn pì fèi qí xué. Cǐ liù zhě, jiào zhīsuǒyóu fèi yě. [Pinyin]
Prohibition of evil after it has been manifested meets with opposition, and is not successful. Instruction given after the time for it is past is done with toil, and carried out with difficulty. The communication of lessons in an undiscriminating manner and without suitability produces injury and disorder, and fails in its object. Learning alone and without friends makes one feel solitary and uncultivated, with but little information. Friendships of festivity lead to opposition to one's master. Friendships with the dissolute lead to the neglect of one's learning. These six things all tend to make teaching vain.

Pronunciation


Idiom

孤陋寡聞

  1. ignorant and ill-informed
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