心裡有數

简 心里有数 · 繁 心裡有數
Mandarin · pinyin xīn lǐ yǒu shù

Meanings

  1. to know the score (idiom)
  2. to be well aware of the situation
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Characters in this entry

心
xīn · heart; mind, intelligence; soul; 5th lunar mansion, determinative star α Scorpii (Antares)
裡
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有
yǒu · have, own, possess; exist
數
shù · number; several; count; fate
里
lǐ · unit of distance; village; lane; Kangxi radical 166
数
shù · number; several, count; fate
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–3–3–4 · xin1 li3 you3 shu4

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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.

心裡有數 · find source passages ↗ · 心里有数 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) to know very well in one's heart (e.g. what to do next, whether it is likely to succeed, etc.); to know the score

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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