📖 Meaning
To inwardly grasp the essence or main idea of something. It refers to deeply understanding the core meaning of a text or the key principles of a skill, beyond mere surface reading. The phrase emphasizes intuitive comprehension that is difficult to convey to others.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记), specifically the 'Basic Annals of the Five Emperors' (五帝本纪) by Sima Qian of the Han dynasty. Sima Qian wrote that since ancient records were incomplete and fragmented, one could only grasp their true meaning intuitively, yet such understanding was hard to explain to those with shallow knowledge and limited experience. The expression highlights that true comprehension of classical wisdom requires both depth of insight and breadth of learning.
💡 Example Usage
读经典著作不可囫囵吞枣，须心知其意方能有所得。
One must not swallow classical texts whole; only by grasping their inner meaning can one truly benefit from them.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 心知其意
- Pinyin: xīn zhī qí yì
- Literal Translation: heart, know, its, meaning
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4