知其不可而為之

Chinese

		to know; to be aware	his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to sth preceding it)	cannot; should not; must not	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	's; him/her/it; this
trad. (知其不可而為之/知其不可而爲之)		知	其	不可	而	為/爲	之
simp. (知其不可而为之)		知	其	不可	而	为	之

Etymology

The Analects:

子路宿於石門。晨門曰：「奚自？」子路曰：「自孔氏。」曰：「是知其不可而為之者與？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

子路宿于石门。晨门曰：“奚自？”子路曰：“自孔氏。”曰：“是知其不可而为之者与？” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐlù sù yú Shímén. Chénmén yuē: “Xīzì?” Zǐlù yuē: “Zì Kǒng shì.” Yuē: “Shì zhī qí bùkě ér wéi zhī zhě yú?” [Pinyin]

Zilu spent the night at Shimen.
(In the morning) the gatekeeper asked him, “Where do you come from?”
Zilu said, “I come from (the house of) Mr. Kong.”
(The gate keeper) responded, “Is he (not) the one who knows the futility (of doing something) yet does it anyway.”

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zhīqíbùkě'érwéizhī
(Zhuyin): ㄓㄑㄧˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄦˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zi¹ kei⁴ bat¹ ho² ji⁴ wai⁴ zi¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhīqíbùkě'érwéizhī
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄑㄧˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄦˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhihcíbùkě-érwéijhih
  - Wade–Giles: chih¹-chʻi²-pu⁴-kʻo³-êrh²-wei²-chih¹
  - Yale: jr̄-chí-bù-kě-ér-wéi-jr̄
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jychyibukeeerlweijy
  - Palladius: чжицибукээрвэйчжи (čžicibukɛervɛjčži)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: zi¹ kei⁴ bat¹ ho² ji⁴ wai⁴ zi¹
  - Yale: jī kèih bāt hó yìh wàih jī
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzi¹ kei⁴ bat⁷ ho² ji⁴ wai⁴ dzi¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: ji¹ kéi⁴ bed¹ ho² yi⁴ wei⁴ ji¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ jiː²¹ wɐi̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵/

Idiom

知其不可而為之

Synonym of 知其不可而為／知其不可而为 (zhī qí bùkě ér wéi, “to (stubbornly) do something even though one knows it is impossible”).