# 教学相长

jiào xué xiāng zhǎng

Teaching and learning help each other develop

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Teaching and learning increase one another

**Traditional Chinese:** 教學相長

**Register:** General · spoken & written

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe how explaining and studying can improve both participants.

Mutual growth does not erase the teacher's responsibility to prepare and guide.

## The image & its use

Explaining a topic can reveal which parts the teacher understands clearly and which need more thought. A learner's question may open a useful connection that neither person had considered before. This expression names that mutual development through teaching and learning. The teacher still has a responsibility to prepare accurate material and provide guidance. The benefit is not simply that everyone talks. It comes from attentive questions, thoughtful explanations, and willingness to revise understanding when the exchange reveals a gap.

## Examples

课堂上的提问让我们体会到教学相长。

### Traditional Chinese

課堂上的提問讓我們體會到教學相長。

kè táng shàng de tí wèn ràng wǒ men tǐ huì dào jiào xué xiāng zhǎng 。

Classroom questions help us experience how teaching and learning develop together.

老师在指导学生时也获得新启发，真是教学相长。

### Traditional Chinese

老師在指導學生時也獲得新啟發，真是教學相長。

lǎo shī zài zhǐ dǎo xué shēng shí yě huò dé xīn qǐ fā ， zhēn shì jiào xué xiāng zhǎng 。

Guiding students gives the teacher new insights as well.

小组分享有助于教学相长。

### Traditional Chinese

小組分享有助於教學相長。

xiǎo zǔ fèn xiǎng yǒu zhù yú jiào xué xiāng zhǎng 。

Group sharing helps both explainers and learners develop.

教学相长需要认真倾听，也需要充分准备。

### Traditional Chinese

教學相長需要認真傾聽，也需要充分準備。

jiào xué xiāng zhǎng xū yào rèn zhēn qīng tīng ， yě xū yào chōng fèn zhǔn bèi 。

Mutual growth through teaching requires careful listening and thorough preparation.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 7, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1536&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%95%99%E5%AD%B8%E7%9B%B8%E9%95%B7)

## Keep exploring

- [借花献佛 jiè huā xiàn fó Offer something obtained from someone else ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jie-hua-xian-fo)

- [街谈巷议 jiē tán xiàng yì Everyday public talk and discussion ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jie-tan-xiang-yi)

- [借题发挥 jiè tí fā huī Use the current topic to express another point ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/jie-ti-fa-hui)

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