DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

只知其一，不知其二

Mandarin · pinyin zhǐ zhī qí yī , bù zhī qí èr

to know the first, but not know the second (idiom); only partial information

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

只: zhǐ · only, just, simply
知: zhī · know, perceive, comprehend
其: qí · his, her, its, their; that
一: yī · one; a, an; alone
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
二: èr · two; twice

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Connected dictionary

6character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

只知其一，不知其二 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗