三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮 sān gè chòu pí jiang ， dǐng gè zhū gě liàng

wisdom of the masses exceeds that of any individual

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. wisdom of the masses exceeds that of any individual
  2. 2. lit. three ignorant cobblers add up to a genius (idiom); fig. collective wisdom

Characters

Character Meaning
三 sān HSK 1
three; 3; surname San
个 gè HSK 1
classifier for people or objects in general; individual
臭 chòu HSK 5
smelly; to smell (bad); stench
皮 pí HSK 3
skin; leather; naughty
匠 jiang
craftsman
顶 dǐng HSK 5
top; most; crown of the head
个 gè HSK 1
classifier for people or objects in general; individual
诸 zhū HSK 6
all; various; surname Zhu
葛 gě
surname Ge; hemp cloth; kudzu (Pueraria lobata)
亮 liàng HSK 1
bright; clear; to shine