知彼知己，百战不殆 — "Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril." | Chinese Proverb Explained
From Art of War · 孙子兵法: "Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril."
What it means
"Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril." This timeless Chinese saying has guided readers for over two millennia.
Where it comes from
Art of War · 孙子兵法. The original text is classical Chinese; this is a faithful modern English rendering.
More wisdom to explore
Get the complete classics collection — Tao Te Ching, Art of War, Analects and I Ching — as a beautiful PDF.
✦ Get the Classics PDFChinese Classics · yusheng-home.com
Character by character
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 知 | zhī | know, perceive, comprehend | 8 |
| 彼 | bǐ | that, there, those | 8 |
| 知 | zhī | know, perceive, comprehend | 8 |
| 己 | jǐ | self, oneself; personal, private; 6th heavenly stem | 3 |
| 百 | bǎi | one hundred; numerous, many | 6 |
| 战 | zhàn | war, fighting, battle | 9 |
| 不 | bù | no, not; un-; negative prefix | 4 |
| 殆 | dài | dangerous, perilous; endanger | 9 |
Character data: Unihan (Unicode).
Reading it in context
This line comes from Art of War · 孙子兵法. Classical Chinese is compact: each character carries meaning, and the sense of the sentence depends on how they are read together. The usual translation is: “Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril.”. Because the grammar is compressed, translations differ — which is also why a literal character-by-character reading can go wrong.
Using this saying
This is an 8-character line from Art of War · 孙子兵法, which is short enough to keep as one unit but long enough that it needs a considered layout. Set it as a single line or two balanced rows rather than breaking it wherever it fits. Keep the whole line together: a fragment can change the meaning, and the source is part of the value. If you adapt it for a design or inscription, have the exact wording checked by a native reader.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean?
Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril.
Where does it come from?
It is recorded in Art of War · 孙子兵法.
Can I use just part of the line?
It is safer to use the whole phrase. Classical lines are often quoted in full because the meaning depends on the whole construction.
Is the translation exact?
No short translation is exact. Classical Chinese compresses grammar, so translations vary — check with a native reader if the wording matters.