知道

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Character Breakdown

Usage of 知道

The verb 知道 (zhī dào) is a very common way to express "to know" or "to be aware of" in Mandarin Chinese. It is used to indicate knowledge of facts, information, or how to do something.

Common Contexts

Collocations and Patterns

  • 知道 + question word (怎么, 为什么, 什么): to know how, why, what.
  • 知道 + reason or explanation: to express not knowing why or how.
  • 知道?: a common phrase to check if the listener knows something, often used to introduce new information.

Nuances

知道 is factual and objective knowledge. It differs from 认识 (rènshi), which is used for knowing people or being familiar with something. 知道 focuses on information or facts.

Common Confusion

Don't confuse 知道 with (dǒng), which means "to understand". 知道 is about knowing a fact, while is about understanding the meaning or concept.

Use 知道 when you want to say you have knowledge or awareness of something specific.

Example Sentences

I don't know why he is angry.

Do you know how to get to the subway station?

As soon as he heard the news, he knew something was wrong.

I know he went to the library yesterday.

Did you know? He is already married.