# 举一反三

jǔ yī fǎn sān

Apply one example to other cases

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Raise one and infer three

**Traditional Chinese:** 舉一反三

**Register:** Positive · learning

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Use when someone learns a principle and can apply it elsewhere.

It is about transferring understanding, not repeating an example mechanically.

## Behind the words

In the Analects, a teacher expects a student who is shown one corner to infer the others. The image became a standard for active understanding.

The numbers present learning as extending beyond the example supplied. The essential skill is recognizing a principle and applying it to related situations. Repeating an example exactly is not enough. The idiom often praises an active learner who can infer connections independently. A good application still checks whether the new case shares the relevant structure rather than assuming that all superficially similar problems are identical.

## Examples

学会这个句型后，要试着举一反三。

### Traditional Chinese

學會這個句型後，要試著舉一反三。

xué huì zhè ge jù xíng hòu ， yào shì zhe jǔ yī fǎn sān 。

After learning this sentence pattern, try applying it to other cases.

老师讲完一个题型，就让我们举一反三，尝试新的题目。

### Traditional Chinese

老師講完一個題型，就讓我們舉一反三，嘗試新的題目。

lǎo shī jiǎng wán yí gè tí xíng ， jiù ràng wǒ men jǔ yī fǎn sān ， cháng shì xīn de tí mù 。

After teaching one problem type, the teacher asked us to apply the principle to new problems.

懂了这个句子的结构，你就能举一反三地读懂类似句子。

### Traditional Chinese

懂了這個句子的結構，你就能舉一反三地讀懂類似句子。

dǒng le zhè ge jù zi de jié gòu ， nǐ jiù néng jǔ yī fǎn sān dì dú dǒng lèi sì jù zi 。

Once you understand this sentence's structure, you can apply it to similar sentences.

她没有死记步骤，而是举一反三，解决了另一个故障。

### Traditional Chinese

她沒有死記步驟，而是舉一反三，解決了另一個故障。

tā méi yǒu sǐ jì bù zhòu ， ér shì jǔ yī fǎn sān ， jiě jué le lìng yí gè gù zhàng 。

She used the underlying principle rather than memorizing steps and solved another fault.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 4, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=13&q=1&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%88%89%E4%B8%80%E5%8F%8D%E4%B8%89)

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