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思而不学则殆

思而不學則殆
Sī ér bù xué zé dài
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 to think without learning is perilous
  2. 2 literally: to reflect but not study, then one is in danger

Examples

HSK 5
思而不学则殆，光凭空想解决不了问题。
Sī'érbùxuézédài, guāng píngkōng xiǎng jiějué bù liǎo wèntí.
Thinking without learning is dangerous - pure speculation won't solve the problem.
HSK 7-9
做研究既要多读文献，也要多思考，不然学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。
Zuò yánjiū jì yào duō dú wénxiàn, yě yào duō sīkǎo, bùrán xué'érbùsīzéwǎng, sī'érbùxuézédài.
Research requires both reading widely and thinking deeply - otherwise, learning without thinking leads to confusion and thinking without learning leads to peril.

Tips

history
Second half of Confucius' dictum in 《论语·为政》: 子曰：学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆 - 'To learn without reflecting is to be lost; to reflect without learning is to be in danger.' The two clauses name the symmetrical failure modes of the mind. Always quoted as a pair in educational discourse.
usage
Paired couplet, typically cited alongside 学而不思则罔. 殆 here means peril or precarious, a classical sense; it also survives in modern 危殆 (critical, at risk).

Stroke Order

思 sī
而 ér
不 bù
学 xué
则 zé
殆 dài