To be able to ask a question clearly is two-thirds of the way to getting it answered.

The saying emphasizes that intellectual progress depends as much on formulating problems as on solving them. A “clear” question implies disciplined observation, precise language, and an awareness of what one does not yet know; these qualities already structure the path to an answer by narrowing possibilities and making evidence relevant. The “two-thirds” figure is rhetorical, underscoring that inquiry is not a preliminary nuisance but the major part of thinking itself. In educational and practical settings, the line champions careful definition of terms and aims—suggesting that confusion in results often begins as confusion in the question.