知己知彼 (zhī jǐ zhī bǐ) — to know oneself and know one's opponent (idiom)…

Definition

A set phrase from military strategy: you must understand your own strengths and weaknesses AND those of your opponent before acting. 彼 ('the other side') is broader than just 'enemy' — it can mean a rival, competitor, or situation you face.

idiom

to know oneself and know one's opponent (idiom)to be well-informed about both sides

Examples

知己知彼，。
Zuò shēng yi yào zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, cái néng chéng gōng.
In business you need to know yourself and know your opponent to succeed.
知己知彼，，。
zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, Bǎi zhàn bú dài, zhè shì bīng fǎ de zhòng yào yuán zé.
Know yourself and know your opponent, and you'll win a hundred battles — this is an important principle of military strategy.
知己知彼，。
Kǎo shì qián yào zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, liǎo jiě zì jǐ de ruò diǎn hé kǎo shì fàn wéi.
Before an exam you should know yourself and know the exam — understand your weaknesses and the exam scope.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

知己know oneself

知zhīknow己jǐself

动宾Verb + object

知彼know the other

知zhīknow彼bǐother

动宾Verb + object

知己 and 知彼 both name knowing, self and the other, so know both sides.

Characters in this word

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

大大dàadult
口口kǒumouth
子子zǐchild

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The 己 shape is a picture of a silk rope used to bind objects.

Open 己 →

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

大大dàadult
口口kǒumouth
子子zǐchild

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 →

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

彳皮彼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彳彳chì

Sound part声符shēngfú

皮

皮pí彼bǐ

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 彳 points to the meaning, and the right part 皮 gives the sound.

Open 彼 →

Appears in