食古不化

shí gǔ bù huà

Dictionary entry

to swallow ancient learning without digesting it (idiom)

What does 食古不化 mean?

食古不化 (shí gǔ bù huà) has the following dictionary meaning.

1to swallow ancient learning without digesting it (idiom)

2to be pedantic without having a mastery of one's subject

Character breakdown

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食shíto eat · food 古Gǔsurname Gu 不bùno; not so · (bound form) not; un-化huāvariant of 花[hua1]

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How to pronounce 食古不化

食古不化

shí gǔ bù huà

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.