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深知 (shēn zhī) — to know deeply, to be fully aware of (formal)

Definition

A formal written verb meaning 'to know / be fully aware of something deeply' — much stronger and more literary than 知道 (which is just basic 'to know a fact'). Often used in writing about problems, truths, or significance.

verb
to know deeplyto be fully aware of (formal)

Examples

  • 深知。
    Wǒ shēn zhī zhè ge wèn tí de yán zhòng xìng.
    I am deeply aware of the seriousness of this problem.
  • 深知。
    Tā shēn zhī shī bài shì chéng gōng zhī mǔ.
    He knows deeply that failure is the mother of success.
  • ，深知。
    Zuò wéi yì míng jì zhě, tā shēn zhī zhēn xiàng de zhòng yào xìng.
    As a journalist, she fully realizes the importance of truth.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

深shēndeep
知zhīknow

Deeply and know combine to mean to know something fully and clearly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍深shēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

深 is built from 氵, the side form of 水 “water”, and 𥥍, which supplies the sound.

Open 深 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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