諺語 · a single proverb
格物致知
What does 格物致知 (gé wù zhì zhī) mean?
格物致知 (gé wù zhì zhī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "investigate things to reach knowledge." In use it means: Through careful study and investigation of the world, arrive at genuine understanding. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "investigate things to reach knowledge."
The reading
The naturalist who watches one species of beetle for a decade knows more about life than the philosopher who reads about it all afternoon. Knowledge rooted in the particular, in the actual held and examined thing, carries a weight that abstraction cannot match. Touch the world and let it teach you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Da Xue 大學 (Dà Xué, The Great Learning)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 格物致知 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 格物致知 (gé wù zhì zhī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Da Xue 大學 (Dà Xué, The Great Learning). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 格物致知?
In Mandarin it is gé wù zhì zhī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 格物致知 aloud in Mandarin.