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Home / Idiom / 食古不化

to swallow ancient learning without digesting it (idiom) · to be pedantic without having a mastery of one's subject

食古不化
shí gǔ bù huà
sh+í·2nd toneg+ǔ·3rd toneb+ù·4th toneh+uà·4th tone
Idiom
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Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
conservative and unable to adapt (idiom)泥古不化nì gǔ bù huàhidebound by convention (idiom)墨守成规mò shǒu chéng guīstiff · inflexible · mechanical · stubborn · to cut blocks for printing刻板kè bǎneat without digesting - read without understanding食而不化shí ér bù huàto swallow whole (idiom); fig. to apply uncritically生吞活剥shēng tūn huó bōlit. not requiring a detailed understanding (idiom); only looking for an overview · not bothered with the details · superficial · content with shallow understanding不求甚解bù qiú shèn jiě
Antonyms
to push out the old and bring in the new (idiom); to innovate推陈出新tuī chén chū xīn