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)		孤	陋	寡	聞
simp. (孤陋寡闻)		孤	陋	寡	闻

Etymology

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

發然後禁，則捍格而不勝；時過然後學，則勤苦而難成；雜施而不孫，則壞亂而不修；獨學而無友，則孤陋而寡聞；燕朋逆其師；燕辟廢其學。此六者，教之所由廢也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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发然后禁，则捍格而不胜；时过然后学，则勤苦而难成；杂施而不孙，则坏乱而不修；独学而无友，则孤陋而寡闻；燕朋逆其师；燕辟废其学。此六者，教之所由废也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd 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

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gūlòuguǎwén

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨ ㄌㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄨㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gu¹ lau⁶ gwaa² man⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gūlòuguǎwén
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨ ㄌㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄨㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gulòuguǎwún
    • Wade–Giles: ku¹-lou⁴-kua³-wên²
    • Yale: gū-lòu-gwǎ-wén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gulowgoawen
    • Palladius: гулоугуавэнь (gulouguavɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku⁵⁵ loʊ̯⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gu¹ lau⁶ gwaa² man⁴
    • Yale: gū lauh gwá màhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gu¹ lau⁶ gwaa² man⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: gu¹ leo⁶ gua² men⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuː⁵⁵ lɐu̯²² kʷaː³⁵ mɐn²¹/

Idiom

孤陋寡聞

1. ignorant and ill-informed