# 闻一知十

wén yī zhī shí

Understand much from a small amount of information

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Hear one thing and understand ten

**Traditional Chinese:** 聞一知十

**Register:** General · spoken & written

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Praise the ability to infer and connect related ideas quickly.

It describes strong understanding, not literal numbers.

## The image & its use

A teacher demonstrates one folding pattern, and a learner immediately sees how the same principle can produce several related shapes. This expression praises that power of inference. The numbers give the idea a compact form: a little explanation opens up much more understanding. It does not mean that every guess is correct or that careful checking becomes unnecessary. Good use pairs the compliment with a concrete example of the connections the learner was able to make.

## Examples

她闻一知十，很快就掌握了同类题目的方法。

### Traditional Chinese

她聞一知十，很快就掌握了同類題目的方法。

tā wén yī zhī shí ， hěn kuài jiù zhǎng wò le tóng lèi tí mù dì fāng fǎ 。

She quickly inferred the wider method from a single example.

老师称赞他闻一知十，能把新知识与旧知识联系起来。

### Traditional Chinese

老師稱讚他聞一知十，能把新知識與舊知識聯繫起來。

lǎo shī chēng zàn tā wén yī zhī shí ， néng bǎ xīn zhī shi yǔ jiù zhī shi lián xì qǐ lái 。

The teacher praised his ability to connect new knowledge with what he already knew.

这位学生闻一知十，还提出了新的用法。

### Traditional Chinese

這位學生聞一知十，還提出了新的用法。

zhè wèi xué shēng wén yī zhī shí ， hái tí chū le xīn de yòng fǎ 。

The student grasped the principle quickly and suggested a new use.

闻一知十的能力也需要长期积累。

### Traditional Chinese

聞一知十的能力也需要長期積累。

wén yī zhī shí de néng lì yě xū yào cháng qī jī lěi 。

The ability to infer much from a little also depends on accumulated knowledge.

## 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=1197&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%81%9E%E4%B8%80%E7%9F%A5%E5%8D%81)

## Keep exploring

- [无出其右 wú chū qí yòu Have no equal in a particular field ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/wu-chu-qi-you)

- [无所事事 wú suǒ shì shì Idle with nothing purposeful to do ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/wu-suo-shi-shi)

- [吴下阿蒙 wú xià ā méng Someone whose abilities have not yet developed ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/wu-xia-a-meng)

- [细水长流 xì shuǐ cháng liú Make steady, modest effort or use resources sparingly over time ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/xi-shui-chang-liu)

## Keep this one close.

Save useful idioms, read offline, and revisit them with flashcards in Almanac.

[View on the App Store ](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819590452)

[Previous idiom 文过饰非 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/wen-guo-shi-fei) [Next idiom 文质彬彬 ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/wen-zhi-bin-bin)