Meaning
已知 means something that is already known or established as fact. It's commonly used in academic, mathematical, and scientific contexts to refer to given information or known conditions. The word combines 已 (already) and 知 (to know), literally meaning 'already known.'
Usage
This term is formal and frequently appears in textbooks, research papers, and logical reasoning contexts. In mathematics, 已知 introduces the given conditions of a problem. In everyday conversation, native speakers would more likely use 知道的 or 众所周知 for 'known things,' reserving 已知 for technical or academic discussions.
Examples
- 01已知三角形的两条边，求第三条边的长度。, .Given two sides of a triangle, find the length of the third side.
- 02根据已知信息，我们可以推断出结论。, .Based on the known information, we can deduce a conclusion.
Characters
Common collocations
- 已知条件given conditions, known conditions
- 已知数known quantity
- 已知事实known fact
- 根据已知based on what is known
Antonyms
Origin
Classical Chinese construction combining 已 (already, completed action) with 知 (knowledge), creating a term for established or pre-existing knowledge. This formation became standardized in modern academic Chinese.