‘教训’ (jiào xùn) is a noun meaning ‘a lesson’—especially one learned through hardship, failure, or unpleasant experience—and often carries the sense of a moral warning or cautionary insight. The first character 教 (jiào) means ‘to teach’ or ‘to instruct’, while 训 (xùn) means ‘to admonish’, ‘to instruct sternly’, or ‘to discipline’. Together, they evoke authoritative guidance rooted in real-life consequences—not abstract theory, but lived wisdom gained from making mistakes or facing setbacks.

This word is commonly used when reflecting on past errors, whether personal (e.g., financial loss, broken trust) or societal (e.g., environmental damage, policy failures). It implies seriousness and gravity: ‘教训’ is rarely neutral—it suggests something worth remembering to avoid repeating. It frequently appears in expressions like ‘吸取教训’ (to draw/learn a lesson) or ‘给人教训’ (to teach someone a lesson), and is often paired with verbs indicating reflection, application, or consequence.