春江水暖鴨先知 chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm (idiom)
  2. fig. an expert in the field knows which way the wind blows

CHARACTERS

春 chūn
HSK 3
spring; wanton
江 jiāng
HSK 4
large river; yangzi; surname
水 shuǐ
HSK 1
water, liquid, lotion, juice
暖 nuǎn
HSK 4
warm, genial
鴨 yā duck; Anas species (various)
先 xiān
HSK 1
first, former, previous
知 zhī
HSK 2
know, perceive, comprehend