知之为知之

知之為知之

zhīzhīwéizhīzhī

phrase

Meanings

1 to know something is to admit you know it
2 opening of Confucius's formula for intellectual honesty
3 to acknowledge what one knows and doesn't know

Characters

it (classical object)

Examples

知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。

Zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī, bù zhī wéi bù zhī, shì zhì yě.

To know it is to say one knows, not to know is to say one does not — that is true knowledge.

做学问要知之为知之，不懂就问。

Zuò xuéwèn yào zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī, bù dǒng jiù wèn.

In scholarship, admit what you know — if you don't understand, ask.

Tips

history

From 《论语·为政》: 知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。 — 'Knowing something is admitting you know it; not knowing is admitting you don't know — this is true knowledge.' Confucius is addressing Zilu (子路). The final 知 is a phonetic loan for 智 (zhì, wisdom): true wisdom begins with intellectual honesty about one's limits.

usage

The closing 知 is read zhì (= 智, 'wisdom'), not zhī. The full line is one of the most quoted in the Analects, cited in schools and in discussions of intellectual humility.

Stroke Order

知 zhī

之 zhī

为 wèi