大勇若怯，大智若愚 dà yǒng ruò qiè ， dà zhì ruò yú

true courage seems weak; true wisdom seems dumb

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. a great hero may appear timid, the wise may appear stupid (idiom); the general public may not recognize great talent

Characters

Character Meaning
大 dà HSK 1
big; large; great
勇 yǒng HSK 4
brave
若 ruò HSK 6
if; as; like
怯 qiè HSK 6
timid; cowardly; Taiwan pr. què
大 dà HSK 1
big; large; great
智 zhì HSK 5
wisdom; knowledge
若 ruò HSK 6
if; as; like
愚 yú HSK 6
to be stupid; me or I (modest); to cheat or deceive