諺語 · a single proverb
明知故犯
What does 明知故犯 (míng zhī gù fàn) mean?
明知故犯 (míng zhī gù fàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "clearly knowing yet deliberately offending." In use it means: Doing wrong while knowing it is wrong. The problem is not ignorance but will. Knowing the right path and choosing the wrong one is a different kind of failure than simply not knowing the way. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "clearly knowing yet deliberately offending."
The reading
The child who touches the stove after being told it is hot learns something different from the child who was never warned. Both get burned. But only one burns with the extra heat of knowing better. Self-deception is the most expensive kind because you pay for the knowledge and the mistake.
What kind of proverb it is
Source classical idiom; appears in Song-era legal and philosophical texts
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 明知故犯 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 明知故犯 (míng zhī gù fàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from classical idiom; appears in Song-era legal and philosophical texts. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 明知故犯?
In Mandarin it is míng zhī gù fàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 明知故犯 aloud in Mandarin.