CYChengyu Dictionary

Chengyu meaning

开卷有益 (kāi juàn yǒu yì)

reading is beneficial

Plain Answer

Source: Traditional educational saying in Chinese reading culture. Treated here as classical story; read it first as a sentence-level judgment.

Core meaning: 开卷有益 means reading is beneficial: Used to encourage reading and learning from books. It praises the value of exposure to texts, while still leaving room to discuss whether the reading is thoughtful, relevant, and understood.

Practice this meaningRead the story
Label
positive / common formal
Best objects
classroom reading, personal habit, critical reading
Do not use when
Do not use 开卷有益 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 读万卷书 or the contrast points toward 马马虎虎, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

Use: Use 开卷有益 when the classroom reading sentence shows the object, cause, and tone clearly. Avoid: Avoid 开卷有益 when the sentence only sounds related, lacks evidence, or needs a plainer word.

classroom reading老师常说开卷有益，但读完以后还要能说出自己的理解。Lǎoshī cháng shuō kāijuànyǒuyì, dàn dú wán yǐhòu hái yào néng shuōchū zìjǐ de lǐjiě.The teacher often says reading is beneficial, but after reading you still need to explain your own understanding.

Next: Read the examples, then compare 读万卷书 before practicing 开卷有益 in the focused quiz.

Often studied with: 读万卷书, 温故知新, 融会贯通

Read This First

开卷有益 is introduced here through a classical story tradition retold for modern learners; the source label is Traditional educational saying in Chinese reading culture, and the page separates that background from modern sentence choice.

开卷有益 means reading is beneficial. The important first reading is Used to encourage reading and learning from books. It praises the value of exposure to texts, while still leaving room to discuss whether the reading is thoughtful, relevant, and understood. This is a positive phrase in normal use, so the sentence must show the judgment clearly.

Use 开卷有益 when the object, cause, and tone match examples such as classroom reading, personal habit, critical reading; then compare 读万卷书 and 温故知新 before writing your own sentence.

Avoid 开卷有益 when the sentence only shares a broad topic, when the tone would be unfair to the person being described, or when a plainer word would be clearer than a chengyu.

Start with this cue: classroom reading plus a visible reason.

Meaning and Translation Notes

Used to encourage reading and learning from books. It praises the value of exposure to texts, while still leaving room to discuss whether the reading is thoughtful, relevant, and understood.

Literal meaning

opening a book has benefit

  • 开 / open
  • 卷 / scroll or book
  • 有 / have
  • 益 / benefit

English equivalents

  • reading is always beneficial plain

    Useful as a general explanation, but avoid sounding absolute in every context.

  • there is value in reading near

    Natural when the speaker wants a softer encouragement.

  • open a book and you gain something plain

    Keeps the Chinese image visible for learners.

How To Use It

Use 开卷有益 when the reader can see why reading is beneficial is the exact judgment, not just the topic. A strong sentence names the actor, the thing being judged, and the evidence that makes this idiom more precise than an ordinary adjective.

  • Use it when the sentence encourages reading, study, or exposure to books.
  • It works best when the benefit is knowledge, perspective, vocabulary, judgment, or cultural range.
  • The phrase is positive, but a good learner sentence can still mention thoughtful selection and reflection.

Common Mistakes

Do not use 开卷有益 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 读万卷书 or the contrast points toward 马马虎虎, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

  • Do not use it to claim every book, article, or post is equally reliable.
  • Do not confuse it with 读万卷书, which stresses broad accumulated reading rather than the basic value of opening a book.

Wrong Use Clinic

The most useful check is often the phrase you should reject.

  1. The learner wants to sound more idiomatic but has only a broad topic match for 开卷有益.

    The sentence drops in 开卷有益 without showing the cause, object, or tone that would make the idiom necessary.

    Fix: Rewrite the sentence so the evidence for reading is beneficial appears before or after the phrase.

    开卷有益 fails in this case because a chengyu is not decoration; it must name the exact judgment the sentence is making.

    Compare du wan juan shu

  2. The learner wants to say the opposite or a neighboring idea and chooses 开卷有益 because it feels familiar.

    The sentence uses 开卷有益, but the described situation points to a different cause, time point, or social attitude.

    Fix: Compare the sentence with 马马虎虎 and choose the phrase whose boundary explains the situation with less force.

    开卷有益 becomes misleading when the nearby phrase would identify the real problem more cleanly.

    Compare ma ma hu hu

  3. The learner has the right meaning area for 开卷有益 but ignores register and emotional force.

    The sentence uses 开卷有益 directly about a person, yet gives no softening context or evidence for such a encouraging and educational judgment.

    Fix: Add the observed behavior first, or choose 温故知新 if the sentence needs a gentler learning path.

    开卷有益 can sound heavier than a short English gloss. The reader needs enough context to see why the tone is fair.

    Compare wen gu zhi xin

  4. The learner remembers the origin image of 开卷有益 but applies it to the wrong object.

    The sentence names an image or story detail, but the real object being judged would be better explained by another chengyu.

    Fix: Name the object first. If the object points toward 东施效颦, use that contrast instead.

    开卷有益 should follow the judgment, not the most memorable image. Story memory is useful only when it supports the sentence-level decision.

    Compare dong shi xiao pin

Chengyu Often Studied Together

Use these clusters to build sentence-level judgment instead of memorizing a single gloss.

  1. 开卷有益 with nearby learner choices

    开卷有益 is often studied beside 读万卷书 and 温故知新 because the words share a theme while asking the learner to judge a different cause, tone, or timing.

    老师先让学生解释开卷有益，再比较读万卷书和温故知新，这样不会只凭英文近义词选答案。

    du wan juan shuwen gu zhi xin

  2. 开卷有益 with contrast checks

    开卷有益 becomes easier to use when it is contrasted with 融会贯通 and 马马虎虎; the contrast forces the writer to decide whether the sentence is praise, warning, correction, or neutral description.

    写作练习里先用开卷有益造句，再换成融会贯通，观察判断方向怎样改变。

    rong hui guan tongma ma hu hudu wan juan shu

  3. 开卷有益 in example-building drills

    开卷有益 should be practiced with 读万卷书 and 融会贯通 because examples reveal whether the learner is choosing by meaning, tone, or only by a remembered image.

    课堂上先用开卷有益写一个有证据的句子，再换成读万卷书或融会贯通说明判断为什么改变。

    du wan juan shurong hui guan tongwen gu zhi xin

  4. 开卷有益 in story and source review

    开卷有益 links best with 温故知新 and 马马虎虎 when the learner is checking whether a source image truly supports a modern sentence.

    复习出处时，不要只背开卷有益的故事，还要比较温故知新，看哪个成语更能解释现代句子。

    wen gu zhi xinma ma hu hudu wan juan shu

Learner Guide

Use these notes when deciding whether this chengyu fits a real sentence.

Use 开卷有益 when the sentence encourages reading as a beneficial habit. It fits classroom advice, family encouragement, reading programs, and personal study reflection. The phrase is strongest when the reader gains something specific: background, vocabulary, cultural understanding, examples, or a broader view.

The safest English is there is value in reading. Reading is always beneficial is common, but always can sound too absolute in English. If the sentence is about a specific person building a habit, open a book and you gain something keeps the original image and stays warm.

Do not confuse 开卷有益 with 读万卷书. 读万卷书 praises breadth and accumulation. 开卷有益 can apply at the first step, when a person simply begins to read. It is about the basic benefit of opening the book, not the prestige of being widely read.

A strong learner sentence names both the book and the benefit. A history book broadens context, a novel improves language feeling, a dictionary clarifies usage, or a biography gives examples of decisions. Without the benefit, the phrase sounds like a poster rather than a useful chengyu.

Before using 开卷有益, write the plain English idea first. If the plain sentence already says everything naturally, the chengyu must add a sharper judgment, cultural image, or tone. If it does not add one of those, leave the plain wording alone.

A good 开卷有益 sentence contains an object and evidence. The object is the person, plan, habit, result, or scene being judged. The evidence is the reason the phrase fits. Without both parts, the idiom may look learned but feel empty.

Compare 开卷有益 with 读万卷书 and 马马虎虎 before finalizing a sentence. The goal is not to memorize synonyms; the goal is to reject the wrong phrase for a clear reason. That rejection is what turns recognition into usable knowledge.

When teaching or self-reviewing 开卷有益, ask the learner to mark source, meaning, use case, wrong case, and one example. If any mark is missing, return to the entry section that supplies it rather than guessing from the headword alone.

classroom reading is the first test zone for 开卷有益, but it is not the only possible use. Before using the phrase, name the speaker, the object being judged, and the nearest tested context: classroom reading, personal habit, critical reading, usage boundary, misuse boundary, comparison check, context setup, teacher correction. Then choose among reading is always beneficial, there is value in reading, open a book and you gain something as translation candidates and reject at least one candidate out loud. A useful final check is to compare the sentence with du-wan-juan-shu and wen-gu-zhi-xin; if one of those nearby entries explains the situation with less strain, the nearby phrase is the better learner choice.

When 开卷有益 is translated as reading is always beneficial, the English should still preserve the phrase's tone. Keep encouraging and educational and the learning use area visible when the audience is still learning the idiom. If a short translation hides the warning "Do not use it to claim every book, article, or post is equally reliable.", choose a fuller English explanation instead. This matters because the strongest chengyu pages should help readers decide when not to use the most convenient English equivalent.

Example Sentences

Each example labels the situation so you can choose a natural English translation.

classroom reading

老师常说开卷有益，但读完以后还要能说出自己的理解。

Lǎoshī cháng shuō kāijuànyǒuyì, dàn dú wán yǐhòu hái yào néng shuōchū zìjǐ de lǐjiě.

The teacher often says reading is beneficial, but after reading you still need to explain your own understanding.

personal habit

他每天睡前读几页书，觉得开卷有益，视野慢慢变宽。

Tā měitiān shuìqián dú jǐ yè shū, juéde kāijuànyǒuyì, shìyě mànmàn biàn kuān.

He reads a few pages before bed every day and feels that reading is beneficial as his view gradually broadens.

critical reading

开卷有益不等于不加判断地接受书里的每句话。

Kāijuànyǒuyì bù děngyú bù jiā pànduàn de jiēshòu shū lǐ de měi jù huà.

Reading is beneficial does not mean accepting every sentence in a book without judgment.

usage boundary

只有原因和语气都清楚时，这句话才适合用开卷有益。

zhi you yuan yin he yu qi dou qing chu shi zhe ju hua cai shi he yong kai juan you yi

Only use 开卷有益 when the cause and tone are both clear, not just because the topic feels nearby.

misuse boundary

如果只是普通情况，不要为了显得有文化而硬说开卷有益。

ru guo zhi shi pu tong qing kuang bu yao wei le xian de you wen hua er ying shuo kai juan you yi

If the situation is ordinary, do not force 开卷有益 just to make the sentence sound more cultured.

comparison check

比较近义成语以后，再决定这里是不是应该写开卷有益。

bi jiao jin yi cheng yu yi hou zai jue ding zhe li shi bu shi ying gai xie kai juan you yi

After comparing nearby chengyu, decide whether 开卷有益 is really the phrase the sentence needs.

context setup

这段话先说明对象和原因，所以开卷有益读起来不突兀。

zhe duan hua xian shuo ming dui xiang he yuan yin suo yi kai juan you yi du qi lai bu tu wu

The passage names the object and cause first, so 开卷有益 does not feel abrupt.

teacher correction

老师让学生先解释为什么不用别的词，再用开卷有益造句。

lao shi rang xue sheng xian jie shi wei shen me bu yong bie de ci zai yong kai juan you yi zao ju

The teacher asks students to explain why another phrase would be wrong before writing a sentence with 开卷有益.

Story and Cultural Context

开卷有益 is often taught as a compact defense of reading. The image is simple: once the scroll or book is opened, some benefit can enter. The phrase became useful because it lowers the barrier to study. A reader does not need to master a whole canon before gaining something from a text. Modern use appears in classrooms, family advice, essays, and reading campaigns. The important learner boundary is that the phrase praises the habit of reading, not careless acceptance of whatever appears on a page. For English speakers, the useful point is that 开卷有益 is not a technical claim about every text. It is cultural encouragement: begin reading, and the act of opening a book creates a chance for knowledge, perspective, vocabulary, or reflection. The phrase is often gentle, not aggressive. It can motivate children, students, adults rebuilding a habit, or anyone who has avoided reading because the task feels too large. In polished use, the sentence should show the benefit so the phrase does not become a decorative slogan. For this entry, the origin note is only the beginning of the explanation. The useful question is why 开卷有益 survived as a portable judgment rather than as a decorative allusion. The classical story route gives the reader an image, but the modern sentence must still prove its own fit. A learner should ask three things: what concrete object is being judged, what evidence in the sentence supports that judgment, and what tone the phrase adds that a plain English adjective would not add. This is why the page tests 开卷有益 through classroom reading, personal habit, critical reading, usage boundary, misuse boundary; each context changes the pressure on the phrase and shows whether the idiom is acting as praise, warning, neutral description, or criticism. The story or usage background also has a translation boundary. 开卷有益 can point toward reading is always beneficial, there is value in reading, open a book and you gain something, but those English choices are not interchangeable. One version may preserve the image, another may sound natural in a classroom answer, and another may be safer in a workplace or essay sentence. The entry therefore treats public references as source cards, not as a paragraph order to imitate. Headword checks, story labels, and English equivalents are separated first; only after that are they rebuilt into the learner path used here: answer, label, examples, wrong-use clinic, comparison, story, and practice. The most common failure is overextension. Because 开卷有益 has a memorable surface, learners may reach for it whenever a topic feels close. The better habit is to compare it with 读万卷书 and 温故知新 and with 马马虎虎 and 东施效颦 before writing. If the rejected phrase is hard to reject, the sentence probably has not supplied enough evidence. If the rejected phrase is easy to reject, the learner can explain the boundary and use 开卷有益 with confidence. That is the practical purpose of the origin section: it turns cultural memory into a sentence-level decision instead of leaving the reader with a story and no next action.

Learning point: Reading can broaden knowledge, but the benefit grows when the reader also reflects.

Open the dedicated story page

Editorial Notes

These notes turn the entry into a decision path, not a loose definition.

First answer before details

开卷有益 should first be read as a decision about reading is beneficial, not as a collectible story label. The classical story helps memory, but the reader's real task is to decide whether the modern sentence is making a positive judgment with enough evidence. Start with the object being described, then ask what happened, who is being judged, and whether the tone is fair. If those details are missing, the idiom will feel like learned decoration rather than useful Chinese. This first-answer rule also helps teachers and translators: they can explain the phrase quickly before deciding whether a longer story, comparison, or correction block is needed.

Example clinic

The examples for 开卷有益 deliberately cover classroom reading, personal habit, critical reading, usage boundary, misuse boundary because a learner needs more than one successful sentence before the phrase becomes usable. Read the Chinese sentence, then explain in plain English why this phrase is more precise than a simple adjective or loose translation. A strong example names the context, shows the evidence, and makes the tone visible. A weak example merely places the chengyu near a related topic. This habit prevents a common error: remembering the literal image but forgetting the social judgment carried by the phrase. When the example feels forced, return to the meaning line and choose a plainer wording.

Comparison boundary

Before using 开卷有益, compare it with 读万卷书 and 温故知新 and, when possible, with 马马虎虎 and 东施效颦. The comparison is not a synonym game. Nearby chengyu often share effort, caution, wisdom, or evaluation as a topic, while differing in cause, timing, and emotional force. A good learner sentence can explain why the rejected phrase fails. If that explanation is impossible, the chosen idiom is probably too loose. This is also the cleanest internal-link reason: the next page exists because it helps the reader reject a tempting but wrong choice. The comparison should leave a reusable rule, not merely another link to click.

Wrong-use trigger

开卷有益 should be rejected when the sentence lacks an object, hides the reason for the judgment, or uses the idiom only because it sounds literary. The safest correction is to rewrite the sentence in plain English first, then add the chengyu only if it sharpens the meaning. If the tone becomes unfair, choose a gentler nearby phrase. If the source image is memorable but the modern object does not match, use the story only as background and do not force the idiom into the sentence. This wrong-use trigger is what keeps the entry from becoming a long but vague dictionary page.

Source synthesis note

开卷有益 uses public references as checkpoints rather than as a structure to copy. One source may help with the headword, another with a story or image, and another with English translation range. The page then rebuilds those checks into its own learner order: short answer, label, examples, misuse, collocation, guide, story, and practice. This matters because a single-source paraphrase would give readers a familiar-looking article but not a better learning tool. The editorial value here is the decision path: what to use, what not to use, what to compare, and how to test the phrase in a new sentence.

Practice This Decision

Answer a focused quiz question, then come back to the examples and misuse clinic if the near phrase feels tempting.

Start focused quizReview mistakes first