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死記硬背

简死记硬背 · 繁死記硬背

Mandarin · pinyin sǐ jì yìng bèi

to learn by rote
to mechanically memorize

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Characters in this entry

死: sǐ · die; dead; death
記: jì · record; keep in mind, remember
硬: yìng · hard, firm, strong; obstinate
背: bèi · back; back side; behind; betray
记: jì · record; keep in mind, remember

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–4–4–4 · si3 ji4 ying4 bei4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

死記硬背 · find source passages ↗ · 死记硬背 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to memorise without understanding; to learn by rote; to cram

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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