天知地知，你知我知

Chinese

		day; sky; heaven	to know; to be aware	earth; ground; field earth; ground; field; place; land; (subor. part. adverbial); ‑ly	to know; to be aware		you	to know; to be aware	I; me	to know; to be aware
trad. (天知地知，你知我知)		天	知	地	知	，	你	知	我	知
simp. #(天知地知，你知我知)		天	知	地	知	，	你	知	我	知
Literally: “(Nobody knows except) The Heaven knows, the Earth knows, you know and I know.”

Etymology

From a story about Yang Zhen in the Book of the Later Han:

當之郡，道經昌邑，故所舉荊州茂才王密為昌邑令，謁見，至夜懷金十斤以遺震。震曰：『故人知君，君不知故人，何也？』密曰：『暮夜無知者。』震曰：『天知，神知，我知，子知。何謂無知！』密愧而出。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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当之郡，道经昌邑，故所举荆州茂才王密为昌邑令，谒见，至夜怀金十斤以遗震。震曰：『故人知君，君不知故人，何也？』密曰：『暮夜无知者。』震曰：『天知，神知，我知，子知。何谓无知！』密愧而出。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

Dāng zhī jùn, dào jīng Chāngyì, gùsuǒ jǔ Jīngzhōu màocái Wáng Mì wèi Chāngyì lìng, yè jiàn, zhì yè huái jīn shí jīn yǐ yí Zhèn. Zhèn yuē: ‘Gùrén zhī jūn, jūn bùzhī gùrén, hé yě?’ Mì yuē: ‘Mùyè wú zhī zhě.’ Zhèn yuē: ‘Tiān zhī, shén zhī, wǒ zhī, zǐ zhī. héwèi wúzhī!’ Mì kuì ér chū. [Pinyin]

As Yang Zhen passed Changyi while he was relocating for his new post, Wang Mi, who was a licentiate (xiucai) from Jingzhou recommended by him, was the governor of Changyi county. He came to visit him, and then brought ten catties of gold for Yang (so as to bribe him). [When Yang saw him,] He said, “[Me being] your old friend understands you, but you don't understand your old friend. Why [did you do that]?” Wang said, “It is night now, nobody would know this.” Yang then said, “The Heaven knows, the Gods know, I know and you know. How can you say that nobody knows?” Wang felt ashamed and left.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tiān zhī dì zhī, nǐ zhī wǒ zhī

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢ ㄓ ㄉㄧˋ ㄓ , ㄋㄧˇ ㄓ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tin¹ zi¹ dei⁶ zi¹, nei⁵ zi¹ ngo⁵ zi¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): thiⁿ chai tōe chai, lí chai góa chai / thiⁿ chai tōe chai, lír chai góa chai / thiⁿ chai tē chai, lí chai góa chai / thiⁿ chai tōe chai, lú chai góa chai

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tiān zhī dì zhī, nǐ zhī wǒ zhī
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢ ㄓ ㄉㄧˋ ㄓ , ㄋㄧˇ ㄓ ㄨㄛˇ ㄓ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tian jhih dì jhih, nǐ jhih wǒ jhih
    • Wade–Giles: tʻien¹ chih¹ ti⁴ chih¹, ni³ chih¹ wo³ chih¹
    • Yale: tyān jr̄ dì jr̄-, nǐ jr̄ wǒ jr̄
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tian jy dih jy, nii jy woo jy
    • Palladius: тянь чжи ди чжи, ни чжи во чжи (tjanʹ čži di čži, ni čži vo čži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ni²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tin¹ zi¹ dei⁶ zi¹, nei⁵ zi¹ ngo⁵ zi¹
    • Yale: tīn jī deih jī, néih jī ngóh jī
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tin¹ dzi¹ dei⁶ dzi¹, nei⁵ dzi¹ ngo⁵ dzi¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: tin¹ ji¹ déi⁶ ji¹, néi⁵ ji¹ ngo⁵ ji¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵ nei̯¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵ ŋɔː¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ chai tōe chai, lí chai góa chai
    • Tâi-lô: thinn tsai tuē tsai, lí tsai guá tsai
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tʰĩ⁴⁴ t͡sai⁴⁴ tue²² t͡sai⁴⁴ li⁵³ t͡sai⁴⁴ ɡua⁵³ t͡sai⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ chai tōe chai, lír chai góa chai
    • Tâi-lô: thinn tsai tuē tsai, lír tsai guá tsai
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰĩ³³ t͡sai³³ tue⁴¹ t͡sai³³ lɯ⁵⁵⁴ t͡sai³³ ɡua⁵⁵⁴ t͡sai³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ chai tē chai, lí chai góa chai
    • Tâi-lô: thinn tsai tē tsai, lí tsai guá tsai
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰĩ⁴⁴ t͡sai⁴⁴ te²² t͡sai⁴⁴ li⁵³ t͡sai⁴⁴ ɡua⁵³ t͡sai⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰĩ⁴⁴ t͡sai⁴⁴ te³³ t͡sai⁴⁴ li⁴¹ t͡sai⁴⁴ ɡua⁴¹ t͡sai⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ chai tōe chai, lú chai góa chai
    • Tâi-lô: thinn tsai tuē tsai, lú tsai guá tsai
    • IPA (Taipei): /tʰĩ⁴⁴ t͡sai⁴⁴ tue³³ t͡sai⁴⁴ lu⁵³ t͡sai⁴⁴ ɡua⁵³ t͡sai⁴⁴/

Idiom

天知地知，你知我知

1. This secret is only known by you and me.