What does 自知之明 mean?

自知之明 (zì zhī zhī míng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Self-knowledge”.

How do you pronounce 自知之明?

自知之明 is pronounced zì zhī zhī míng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 自知之明 literally mean?

Literally, 自知之明 means “self-knowledge and discernment”. It is used to mean “Self-knowledge”.

Where does 自知之明 come from?

自知之明 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 自知之明?

自知：自己了解自己；明：看清事物的能力。指了解自己的情况，对自己有正确的估计。

自知之明 — “Self-knowledge”

自知之明 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Self-knowledge”. A clear understanding of oneself and one's capabilities; knowing one's strengths and weaknesses. Literally, “self-knowledge and discernment”.

Frequency

自知之明 Pronunciation and Pinyin

自zì
知zhī
之zhī
明míng

自知之明 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
知	zhī	8	to know, be aware, understand
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
明	míng	8	bright, clear, understand

Example Sentence with 自知之明

拥有自知之明是个人成长的重要一步，它能帮助我们认清自己的优势和不足。

Having self-awareness is a crucial step in personal growth, as it helps us recognize our strengths and weaknesses.

Origin and Story of 自知之明

After King Wei of Qi ascended the throne, he spent his days in entertainment, particularly enjoying music.

Zou Ji, carrying his zither, came to meet King Wei. However, instead of playing, he spoke, linking the principles of not playing the zither to the art of governing a state.

This helped King Wei understand the true principles of governance, and he appointed Zou Ji as his prime minister.

Zou Ji's wisdom and guidance inspired King Wei to develop self-awareness.

Idioms Related to 自知之明

Synonyms of 自知之明

zì自cán惭xíng形huì秽ashamed of one's inferiority

Antonyms of 自知之明

bù不zì自liàng量lì力overestimate one's own abilities

More idioms starting with 自

Questions about 自知之明

What does 自知之明 mean?: 自知之明 (zì zhī zhī míng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Self-knowledge”.
How do you pronounce 自知之明?: 自知之明 is pronounced zì zhī zhī míng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 自知之明 literally mean?: Literally, 自知之明 means “self-knowledge and discernment”. It is used to mean “Self-knowledge”.
Where does 自知之明 come from?: 自知之明 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 自知之明?: 自知：自己了解自己；明：看清事物的能力。指了解自己的情况，对自己有正确的估计。

Copy the pinyin for 自知之明 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.