知道 zhīdào — to know (a fact)

Meanings

1. 1

   to know (a fact)

   To have a piece of information. It takes a fact or a whole clause as its object — 我知道他的名字, 你知道现在几点吗 — while knowing a person is 认识.

   verb

Character breakdown

• 知

  zhī (first tone, high and level)

  to know, to be aware of, to realise; knowledge; to inform

  8 strokes⿰矢口Radical 矢

Example sentences

• 我知道他的名字。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhīdào (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) míngzi. (second tone, rising)···

  I know his name.

• 你知道现在几点吗？/你知道現在幾點嗎？Nǐ (third tone, dipping) zhīdào (first tone, high and level) xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) jǐ (third tone, dipping) diǎn (third tone, dipping) ma? (neutral tone)···

  Do you know what time it is?

Common mistakes

• Not quite我知道他，他是我的朋友。

  Correct我认识他，他是我的朋友。

  知道 a person means you have heard of them; 认识 means you have actually met. A friend is someone you 认识.

Similar words

Words containing 知

• 通知tōng (first tone, high and level) zhī (first tone, high and level)to notify
• 不知bù (fourth tone, falling) zhī (first tone, high and level)not to know
• 知识/知識zhī (first tone, high and level) shi (neutral tone)intellectual
• 得知dé (second tone, rising) zhī (first tone, high and level)to find out
• 知名zhī (first tone, high and level) míng (second tone, rising)well-known; famous
• 告知gào (fourth tone, falling) zhī (first tone, high and level)to inform
• 无知/無知wú (second tone, rising) zhī (first tone, high and level)ignorant
• 认知/認知rèn (fourth tone, falling) zhī (first tone, high and level)cognition
• 知觉/知覺zhī (first tone, high and level) jué (second tone, rising)perception
• 众所周知/眾所周知zhòng (fourth tone, falling) suǒ (third tone, dipping) zhōu (first tone, high and level) zhī (first tone, high and level)see 眾所周知|众所周知[zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī]
• 不知不觉/不知不覺bù (fourth tone, falling) zhī (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) jué (second tone, rising)unconsciously
• 不为人知/不為人知bù (fourth tone, falling) wéi (second tone, rising) rén (second tone, rising) zhī (first tone, high and level)not known to anyone
• 一无所知/一無所知yī (first tone, high and level) wú (second tone, rising) suǒ (third tone, dipping) zhī (first tone, high and level)not knowing anything at all (idiom); completely ignorant
• 知名度zhī (first tone, high and level) míng (second tone, rising) dù (fourth tone, falling)reputation
• 知己zhī (first tone, high and level) jǐ (third tone, dipping)to know oneself
• 知足zhī (first tone, high and level) zú (second tone, rising)content with one's situation
• 通知书/通知書tōng (first tone, high and level) zhī (first tone, high and level) shū (first tone, high and level)written notice