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一知半解

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: yī zhī bàn jiě
  • English Translation: A smattering of knowledge (superficial understanding)
  • Idiom Composition: 「一」（One or a little bit, symbolizing a tiny amount）＋「知」（Knowledge or to know）＋「半」（Half or incomplete）＋「解」（Understanding or to comprehend）
  • Meaning: Having very little knowledge and a shallow understanding of a subject. It describes a state where one knows only a fraction of the facts and lacks a comprehensive grasp of the essence.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「一知半解」 contains the following nuances:

  • Incomplete Comprehension: The characters 一 (yī) and 半 (bàn) both symbolize small quantities, emphasizing that the knowledge is fragmentary and lacks a systematic structure.
  • Humility vs. Criticism: When applied to others, it serves as a critique of their lack of effort or depth. When applied to oneself, it is a polite way to express modesty regarding one's expertise.

3. Usage

「一知半解」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Warning against shallow learning: Frequently used in academic or skill-acquisition contexts to warn against being satisfied with surface-level understanding.
    • Example:「做学问要脚踏实地，不能满足于一知半解。」
      （In academic pursuits, one must be grounded and not be satisfied with a smattering of knowledge.)
  • Analyzing failure due to lack of expertise: Used to point out that a mistake or failure was caused by a lack of deep professional knowledge.
    • Example:「他对市场行情一知半解，结果投资亏损严重。」
      （He had only a superficial understanding of the market trends, which resulted in heavy investment losses.)
  • Self-deprecation or humility: Used to modestly state that one's own knowledge is insufficient to provide a definitive opinion.
    • Example:「我对这个问题也只是一知半解，不敢妄下结论。」
      （I only have a half-baked understanding of this issue, so I dare not jump to conclusions.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 看书如果只求一知半解，那就很难真正学到东西。
    （If you are content with incomplete understanding when reading, it is difficult to truly learn anything.）
  2. 别听他瞎说，他对这件事也是一知半解。
    （Don't listen to his nonsense; he only has a smattering of knowledge about this matter himself.）
  3. 作为专家，绝不能对核心技术一知半解。
    （As an expert, it is unacceptable to have a superficial grasp of the core technology.）
  4. 那种一知半解的评论，只会误导大众。
    （Those poorly informed comments will only mislead the public.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom comes from the Song Dynasty (宋朝) book on poetic theory, Canglang's Notes on Poetry (诗经), written by Yan Yu (严羽). It originally contrasted those who achieve 'thorough enlightenment' with those who only gain 'a partial understanding' (一知半解).
  • Educational Values: Traditional Chinese culture places a high value on 'depth' and 'mastery.' Consequently, 一知半解 (yī zhī bàn jiě) is frequently used in educational and professional settings to discourage a lazy or superficial attitude toward learning.
  • Nuance Comparison: While 一知半解 (yī zhī bàn jiě) refers to a lack of depth, the similar idiom 囫囵吞枣 (hú lún tūn zǎo) describes 'swallowing a date whole,' which refers to memorizing information without trying to understand it at all.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

一知半解 (yī zhī bàn jiě) is a Chinese idiom used to criticize or humbly admit to having incomplete knowledge. It suggests that while someone might know a few details, they lack the depth required for true mastery. In learning and professional contexts, it serves as a warning against being satisfied with surface-level information.

Idiom Essay

yī zhī bàn jiě
一知半解
Superficial Knowledge
xué xí学习xīn新dōng xī东西de的shí hòu时候，zuì最wēi xiǎn危险de的jiē duàn阶段shì是shén me什么？

What is the most dangerous stage when learning something new?

kě néng可能bú shì不是gāng刚kāi shǐ开始de的shí hòu时候，yīn wèi因为nà shí那时nǐ你zhī dào知道zì jǐ自己shén me什么dōu都bù不dǒng懂，suǒ yǐ所以huì会hěn很xiǎo xīn小心。

It might not be the very beginning, because then you know you understand nothing and will be very careful.

zuì最wēi xiǎn危险de的，wǎng wǎng往往shì是nǐ你gāng gāng刚刚xué学le了yì diǎn diǎn一点点，jué de觉得zì jǐ自己yǐ jīng已经dǒng懂le了de的shí hòu时候。

The most dangerous time is often when you have just learned a little bit and feel like you already understand it.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语fēi cháng非常jīng zhǔn精准dì地miáo shù描述le了zhè ge这个zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“yī zhī bàn jiě一知半解”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom that accurately describes this state, called 一知半解.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，“yī zhī一知”shì是zhī dào知道yì diǎn diǎn一点点，“bàn jiě半解”shì是zhǐ只lǐ jiě理解le了yí bàn一半。

Literally, 一知 means knowing a little, and 半解 means only understanding half.

hé qǐ lái合起来，jiù shì就是xíng róng形容zhī shí知识hěn很pín fá贫乏，huò zhě或者lǐ jiě理解dé得hěn很fū qiǎn肤浅，méi yǒu没有zhuā zhù抓住hé xīn核心。

Together, it describes having very poor knowledge or a superficial understanding without grasping the core.

zhè ge这个cí词hěn很yǒu yì si有意思。

This term is very interesting.

tā它miáo shù描述de的bìng并bú shì不是“wú zhī无知”，ér shì而是yī zhǒng一种“hái还méi没dào wèi到位de的míng bái明白”。

It does not describe ignorance, but rather a kind of understanding that is not yet fully there.

jiù就xiàng像nǐ你kàn看le了yī běn shū一本书de的jiǎn jiè简介，jiù就jué de觉得zì jǐ自己dú dǒng读懂le了zhěng běn shū整本书；huò zhě或者gāng刚xué huì学会le了jǐ jù几句wài yǔ外语，jiù就jué de觉得zì jǐ自己liǎo jiě了解le了nà ge那个guó jiā国家de的wén huà文化；yòu又huò zhě或者shì是tīng听bié rén别人shuō说le了yí gè一个guān diǎn观点，hái还méi没qù去chá zhèng查证，jiù就bǎ把tā它dàng chéng当成le了shì shí事实。

It is like reading a book summary and feeling you have understood the whole book; or learning a few phrases of a foreign language and feeling you understand that country's culture; or hearing an opinion and treating it as fact before verifying it.

rén men人们cháng shuō常说，wán quán完全bù dǒng不懂bìng并bù kě pà不可怕，yīn wèi因为nǐ你huì会bǎo chí保持qiān xū谦虚。

People often say that being completely ignorant is not scary because you will remain humble.

dàn但“yī zhī bàn jiě一知半解”zhī suǒ yǐ之所以ràng让rén人dān xīn担心，shì是yīn wèi因为tā它róng yì容易ràng让rén人chǎn shēng产生cuò jué错觉。

But the reason 一知半解 is worrying is that it easily creates an illusion.

zhè zhǒng这种cuò jué错觉huì会ràng让rén人yǐ wéi以为zì jǐ自己yǐ jīng已经zhǎng wò掌握le了zhēn lǐ真理，cóng ér从而tíng zhǐ停止le了shēn rù深入sī kǎo思考，shèn zhì甚至jí zhe急着qù去xià下jié lùn结论、zuò做jué dìng决定。

This illusion makes people think they have mastered the truth, causing them to stop thinking deeply or even rush to conclusions and decisions.

zài在xiàn zài现在zhè ge这个xìn xī信息hěn很kuài快de的shí dài时代，wǒ men我们qí shí其实hěn很róng yì容易xiàn rù陷入“yī zhī bàn jiě一知半解”。

In this era of fast information, it is actually very easy for us to fall into 一知半解.

xīn wén新闻zhǐ只kàn看biāo tí标题，zhī shí知识zhǐ只kàn看duǎn shì pín短视频。

We only read headlines for news and only watch short videos for knowledge.

wǒ men我们hǎo xiàng好像shén me什么dōu都zhī dào知道yì diǎn一点，dàn但rú guǒ如果yǒu rén有人zhuī wèn追问yī jù一句“wèi shén me为什么”，wǒ men我们kě néng可能jiù就dá答bù不shàng lái上来le了。

We seem to know a little bit about everything, but if someone asks why, we might not be able to answer.

bù guò不过，yòng用dào到zhè ge这个cí词de的shí hòu时候，yě也bù不yí dìng一定fēi yào非要dài带zhe着pī píng批评de的yǔ qì语气。

However, when using this term, it does not necessarily have to carry a critical tone.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，tā它yě也kě yǐ可以shì是yī zhǒng一种chéng shí诚实de的zì wǒ自我tí xǐng提醒。

Sometimes, it can be an honest self-reminder.

chéng rèn承认zì jǐ自己duì对mǒu某gè个lǐng yù领域zhǐ shì只是“yī zhī bàn jiě一知半解”，qí shí其实shì是yī zhǒng一种zhì huì智慧。

Admitting that one only has 一知半解 regarding a certain field is actually a form of wisdom.

yīn wèi因为tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：zài在tōng wǎng通往zhēn xiàng真相de的lù shàng路上，wǒ men我们kě néng可能cái才gāng gāng刚刚zǒu走dào到yí bàn一半，hái yǒu还有hěn duō很多dōng xī东西zhí de值得qù去shēn jiū深究。

Because it reminds us: on the road to truth, we might have only walked halfway, and there is still much worth investigating deeply.

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