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自知之明 (zì zhī zhī míng) — self-knowledge; the wisdom to know one's own abilities and limitations

Definition

A formal set phrase meaning 'the wisdom to know one's own limits.' It usually describes having this quality, with a positive sense (有自知之明) or a negative one (缺乏自知之明, overestimating oneself).

noun
self-knowledgethe wisdom to know one's own abilities and limitations

Examples

  • 自知之明，。
    Tā hěn yǒu zì zhī zhī míng, zhī dào zì jǐ bú shàn cháng guǎn lǐ.
    He has good self-knowledge and knows he is not good at management.
  • 自知之明。
    Quē fá zì zhī zhī míng de rén wǎng wǎng gāo gū zì jǐ de néng lì.
    People who lack self-knowledge often overestimate their abilities.
  • ：“，自知之明。”
    Kǒng zǐ shuō: "zhī rén zhě zhì, zì zhī zhī míng zhě míng."
    Confucius said: 'He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.'

Origin

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

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 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesThinking & Cognition

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