溫故知新

温故知新
wēngùzhīxīn
  1. to review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects)
  2. to recall the past to understand the future

CEDICT

reviewing learnt knowledge helps one understand it better; reviewing the past helps one understand the present

Wiktionary

語本《論語．為政》：「子曰：『溫故而知新，可以為師矣。』」指溫習舊業，可增進新知。亦指複習學過的知識，而獲得新的知識、體會。

重編國語辭典

溫習過去所學，從中獲得新的知識和體會

維基詞典

Entry Composition

1 溫 wēn
  1. warm; lukewarm
  2. to warm up
  3. (bound form) temperature
  4. (bound form) mild; soft; tender
  5. to review (a lesson etc)
  6. (TCM) fever
  7. epidemic; pestilence (old variant of 瘟 wēn)
2 故知 gùzhī a close friend over many years
3 新 xīn
  1. new
  2. newly
  3. meso- (chemistry)

Related entries

溫故而知新 wēngùérzhīxīn
  1. to review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects)
  2. to recall the past to understand the future