Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

知 (radical 111 矢+3, 8 strokes, cangjie input 人大口 (OKR), four-corner 8640₀, composition ⿰矢口)

Descendants

• ち

See also

• 呹

References

• KangXi: page 824, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23935
• Dae Jaweon: page 1235, character 27
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 4, page 2581, character 2
• Unihan data for U+77E5

Chinese

Glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *ʔl'e) : phonetic 矢 ‎(OC *hliʔ, “arrow”) + semantic 口 ‎(“mouth”). This may also be an ideogram (指事) – words coming out of people who know are like arrows being fired.

Etymology

The two pronunciations are cognate. The word is possibly of Sino-Tibetan origin, compare Mizo hria, hriat ‎(“to know”), Jingpho chye ‎(“to know”), Tibetan རིག་པ ‎(rig pa, “to know”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

知

1. to know; to understand; to comprehend
   • 「亢」之為言也，知進而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知喪。其唯聖人乎！知進退存亡而不失其正者，其唯聖人乎！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     “亢”之为言也，知进而不知退，知存而不知亡，知得而不知丧。其唯圣人乎！知进退存亡而不失其正者，其唯圣人乎！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
     From: I Ching, 3rd – 2nd millennia BCE

     "kàng" zhī wéi yán yě, zhī jìn ér bù zhī tuì, zhī cún ér bù zhī wáng, zhī dé ér bù zhī sàng. Qí wéi shèngrén hū! Zhī jìntuìcúnwáng ér bù shī qí zhèng zhě, qí wéi shèngrén hū! [Pinyin]

     The force of that phrase - 'exceeding the proper limits' - indicates the knowing to advance but not to retire; to maintain but not to let perish to get but not to lose. He only is the sage who knows to advance and to retire, to maintain and to let perish; and that without ever acting incorrectly. Yes, he only is the sage!

   • 子曰：「由！誨女知之乎？知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：“由！诲女知之乎？知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
     From: The Analects of Confucius, circa 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐ yuē: "yóu! Huì rǔ zhì zhī hū? Zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī, bù zhī wéi bù zhī, shì zhì yě." [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "You, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge."

   • 知人知面不知心  ―  zhī rén zhī miàn bù zhī xīn  ―  One may know a person for a long time without understanding his true nature
   • 我唔知。 [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  Ngo⁵ m⁴zi¹. [Jyutping]  ―  I don't know.
2. ^† to cause to know; to tell; to inform

   通知  ―  tōngzhī  ―  to inform

3. ^† to administer; to take charge of
   • 知縣 / 知县  ―  zhīxiàn  ―  governor of a county
   • 知客  ―  zhīkè  ―  receptionist at a ceremony
4. ^† to distinguish
5. ^† to appreciate
6. ^† to be close friends; close friends

   知己  ―  zhījǐ  ―  close friend

   • 知友  ―  zhīyǒu  ―  close friend
7. ^† to perceive
8. ^† to participate in; to have a hand in
9. ^†knowledge

   求知  ―  qiúzhī  ―  to seek knowledge

   • 無知 / 无知  ―  wúzhī  ―  ignorant

Descendants

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Definitions

知

1. ^†Original form of 智 (zhì, “knowing, wisdom, intelligence”).
   • 子曰：「由！誨女知之乎？知之為知之，不知為不知，是知也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：“由！诲女知之乎？知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
     From: The Analects of Confucius, circa 475 – 221 BCE

     Zǐ yuē: "Yóu! Huì rǔ zhì zhī hū? Zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī, bù zhī wéi bù zhī, shì zhì yě." [Pinyin]

     The Master said, "You, shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge."

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. to know
2. wisdom

Readings

• Goon: ち (chi)
• Kan’on: ち (chi)
• Kun: しる (shiru), しらせる (shiraseru)
• Nanori: とも (tomo)

Compounds

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 智 ‎(trje^H, “wisdom”).

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• (Tokyo) ち​ [chíꜜ] (Atamadaka - [1])^[1][2]
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕi]

Alternative forms

• 智

Noun

知 ‎(hiragana ち, romaji chi)

1. wisdom

References

1. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. ↑ 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3

Korean

Hanja

知 • ‎(ji) (hangeul 지, revised ji, McCune-Reischauer chi, Yale ci)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

知 (tri, trơ)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.