知其不可而为之
Traditional form:
知其不可而為之
Pinyin (reading):
zhīqíbùkě'érwéizhī
Definitions:
- to keep going resolutely despite knowing the task is impossible (idiom)
Characters:
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 其 - his, her, its, their; that
- 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可 - may, can, -able; possibly
- 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
- 为 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
- 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to
Traditional characters:
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 其 - his, her, its, their; that
- 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可 - may, can, -able; possibly
- 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
- 為 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
- 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to