知己知彼，百戰不殆

Chinese

		to know yourself and know the enemy		to fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat; to win every battle
trad. (知己知彼，百戰不殆)		知己知彼	，	百戰不殆
simp. (知己知彼，百战不殆)		知己知彼	，	百战不殆

Etymology

From The Art of War:

知彼知己，百戰不殆；不知彼而知己，一勝一負；不知彼，不知己，每戰必敗。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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知彼知己，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼，不知己，每战必败。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Art of War, circa 5^th century BCE, translated based on Lionel Giles's version

Zhī bǐ zhī jǐ, bǎi zhàn bù dài; bù zhī bǐ ér zhī jǐ, yī shèng yī fù; bù zhī bǐ, bù zhī jǐ, měi zhàn bì bài. [Pinyin]

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhījǐzhībǐ, bǎizhànbùdài

  (Zhuyin): ㄓ ㄐㄧˇ ㄓ ㄅㄧˇ , ㄅㄞˇ ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi¹ gei² zi¹ bei², baak³ zin³ bat¹ toi⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhījǐzhībǐ, bǎizhànbùdài [Phonetic: zhījǐzhībǐ, bǎizhànbúdài]
    • Zhuyin: ㄓ ㄐㄧˇ ㄓ ㄅㄧˇ , ㄅㄞˇ ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhihjǐjhihbǐ, bǎijhànbùdài
    • Wade–Giles: chih¹-chi³-chih¹-pi³, pai³-chan⁴-pu⁴-tai⁴
    • Yale: jr̄-jǐ-jr̄-bǐ-, bǎi-jàn-bù-dài
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyjiijybii, baejannbuday
    • Palladius: чжицзичжиби, байчжаньбудай (čžiczičžibi, bajčžanʹbudaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi¹ gei² zi¹ bei², baak³ zin³ bat¹ toi⁵
    • Yale: jī géi jī béi, baak jin bāt tóih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi¹ gei² dzi¹ bei², baak⁸ dzin³ bat⁷ toi⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji¹ géi² ji¹ béi², bag³ jin³ bed¹ toi⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː⁵⁵ kei̯³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ pei̯³⁵ paːk̚³ t͡siːn³³ pɐt̚⁵ tʰɔːi̯¹³/

Proverb

知己知彼，百戰不殆

1. Know yourself and know the enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.

Synonyms

• 知彼知己，百戰不殆／知彼知己，百战不殆 (zhībǐzhījǐ, bǎizhànbùdài)

See also

• 知己知彼，百戰百勝／知己知彼，百战百胜 (zhījǐzhībǐ, bǎizhànbǎishèng)