諺語 · a single proverb
知行合一
What does 知行合一 (zhī xíng hé yī) mean?
知行合一 (zhī xíng hé yī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "knowledge and action merge into one." In use it means: Knowing and doing are one; understanding is not complete until it is expressed in action. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "knowledge and action merge into one."
The reading
The knowledge that remains purely abstract is not yet fully itself; it is still waiting for the action that will complete it. Wang Yangming's great insight was that these two things-knowing and doing-are not sequential but simultaneous: the knowing is already in the beginning of the doing, and the doing is what the knowing always was leading to. They are one thing divided for examination.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wang Yangming 王陽明 (Ming Dynasty Neo-Confucian philosopher)
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 Dragon, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 知行合一 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知行合一 (zhī xíng hé yī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Wang Yangming 王陽明 (Ming Dynasty Neo-Confucian philosopher). 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 知行合一?
In Mandarin it is zhī xíng hé yī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 知行合一 aloud in Mandarin.