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略知一二 (lüè zhī yī èr) — to know only a little about (a subject); to have a superficial understanding

Definition

A modest, self-deprecating idiom meaning 'I only know a little' — used to politely downplay one's own knowledge before offering an opinion or to admit limited expertise on a topic.

idiom
to know only a little about (a subject)to have a superficial understanding

Examples

  • ，略知一二。
    Duì yú gǔ diǎn yīn yuè, wǒ zhī lüè zhī yī èr.
    As for classical music, I only know a little.
  • 略知一二，。
    Tā suī rán duì zhōng guó lì shǐ lüè zhī yī èr, dàn hěn gǎn xìng qù.
    Although he only knows a little about Chinese history, he is very interested.
  • ，略知一二，。
    Guān yú zhè ge wèn tí, wǒ jǐn lüè zhī yī èr, bù gǎn wàng xià jié lùn.
    Regarding this issue, I only know a little and dare not jump to conclusions.

Origin

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
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè略lüè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

略 combines 田 (field) with 各 for sound; the described idea is walking around a field to outline it.

Open 略 →

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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