了如指掌

liǎorúzhǐzhǎng
idiom #9,047

Meanings

  1. 1 to know something like the back of one's hand
  2. 2 to know inside out; to have thorough knowledge of

Characters

Literally 'understand as clearly as looking at one's own palm' — you know every line and detail.

Examples

Tā duì zhè zuò chéngshì liǎorúzhǐzhǎng.
He knows this city like the back of his hand.
Tā duì gōngsī de cáiwù zhuàngkuàng liǎorúzhǐzhǎng.
She knows the company's financial situation inside out.
Lǎoshī duì měi gè xuéshēng de qíngkuàng liǎorúzhǐzhǎng.
The teacher knows each student's situation thoroughly.

Tips

memory
Look at your own palm — you know every line, every crease. That's how well someone knows the subject: (clear) (as) (finger-palm).
history
From the ancient text 《》. Confucius said that whoever understands the imperial sacrifice would govern the world as easily as looking at their own palm.

Stroke Order

le
zhǐ
zhǎng