了如指掌

了如指掌 liǎo zhǐ zhǎng ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄨˊ ㄓˇ ㄓㄤˇ liu5 jyu4 zi2 zoeng2

  • to know sth like the back of one's hand (idiom)
  • to know (a person, a place etc) inside out

了如指掌瞭如指掌 liǎo zhǐ zhǎng ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄨˊ ㄓˇ ㄓㄤˇ liu4 jyu4 zi2 zoeng2

Stroke order

Practice writing

Draw 了 (1 of 4) — stroke by stroke.

Draw each stroke of the character in order using your mouse or finger. A hint appears after three misses.

Character breakdown

Example sentences

  • 我对纽约了如指掌。 I know every inch of New York.
  • 他对纽约了如指掌。 He knows New York inside out.
  • 他對那件事瞭如指掌。 He knows every inch of this area.
  • 他对这个地方了如指掌。 He knows every inch of this area.
  • 他對她的過去似乎瞭如指掌。 He seems to know all about her past.

Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY)