触类旁通

觸類旁通

chùlèipángtōng

idiom #58,210

Meanings

1 grasp one example and understand related cases
2 comprehend by analogy
3 extend knowledge from one field to another

Characters

touch / encounter

understand / pass through

Examples

学好数学可以触类旁通，其他理科也会进步。

Xué hǎo shùxué kěyǐ chù lèi páng tōng, qítā lǐkē yě huì jìnbù.

Master math and you can apply the logic to other sciences by analogy.

他学习能力强，一教就触类旁通。

Tā xuéxí nénglì qiáng, yī jiāo jiù chù lèi páng tōng.

He's a strong learner — teach him once and he extends it to related problems.

Tips

history

From 《周易·系辞上》: 引而伸之，触类而长之 — 'extend it and develop it, touching one category and reaching all related ones.' The core Confucian principle of learning by analogical extension.

Stroke Order

触 chù

类 lèi

旁 páng

通 tōng