zhī知knowjǐ己selfzhī知knowbǐ彼other
Know yourself and your opponent.
Literal meaning
know (知) — self (己) — know (知) — other (彼)
Origin
Sun Tzu's Art of War (《孙子兵法·谋攻》): 知己知彼，百战不殆 — "Know yourself and know your opponent, and you'll never lose a battle." One of the most quoted lines from Sun Tzu, used in modern Chinese for any contest — sports, business, negotiation.
Examples
Zuò做shēng生yì意yào要zhī知jǐ己zhī知bǐ彼。
In business, you have to know yourself and your competition.
Zhī知jǐ己zhī知bǐ彼，bǎi百zhàn战bú不dài殆。
Know yourself and the enemy — a hundred battles, no defeats.
Usage & nuances
Standard strategy phrase. Common in business, sports, and military contexts.
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