Todays Chinese Idiom (今天的成语)

This is for all you students out there who go to class and whatever the teachers says "goes in one ear and out the other"

囫囵吞枣 - húlúntūnzao3

囫囵 - húlún means whole。

Literal Meaning: to swallow dates whole. Once upon a time, a doctor said "eating dates is bad for one's teeth, but good for the spleen and stomach. On the contrary, eating pears is beneficial to one's teeth, but no good for the spleen and stomach." Upon hearing this, a person said "I sill swallow dates whole rather than chew them carefully, and will just chew pears and not swallow them. In this way, I will benefit from eating bothe dates and pears.

Metaphorical Meaning: to lap up information without analyzing or digesting it; to study without understanding.

Also Known As: 鹘囵吞枣 - húlúntūnzao3

Idiom usage: Derogatory

Example Sentences:

要真正学到知识, 必须认真请教, 深入思索, 决不能囫囵吞枣。yàozhēnzhèng xuédào zhīshi, bìxū rènzhēn qing3jiào, shēnrù sīsuo3, juébùnéng húlúntūnzao3。

古人读书,据说老师是不怎么讲解的,就让学生去念, 去背, 这种囫囵吞枣的方法不太好。gu3rén dúshū, jùshuō lao3shī shì bùzěnme jiang3jiě de, jiùràng xuéshēng qù niàn, qù bēi, zhèzhong3 húlúntūnzao3 de fāngfa3 bùtàihao3。

在教学中, 有的知识讲得太少, 不深不透, 学生还不懂呢, 就囫囵吞枣地过去了。zàijiàoxuézhōng, you3de zhīshi jiang3 de tàishao3, bù shēn bù tòu, xuéshēng hái bùdong3 ne, jiù húlúntūnzao3 de guòqule。