This study examines a cultural practice of ‘remembering’ – bèi (‘auditory memorisation’), which plays a prominent role in the learning experience of Chinese people. It first conducts a detailed semantic analysis of bèi , using natural semantic metalanguage to reveal a culture-internal view of and belief about memory formation and learning, and contrasts it with Chinese jì (‘try to remember/ write down’) and with memorise and learn by heart in English. It then explores linguistic, cognitive and cultural reasons that could explain such a practice. Finally, it addresses the question of why bèi , which exhibits some key features of knowledge transmission in oral cultures, is so prized by the Chinese people, possessors of a long written history.