智者千虑，必有一失 zhì zhě qiān lǜ ， bì yǒu yī shī

even the wise can make mistakes; none is perfect

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible

Characters

Character Meaning
智 zhì HSK 5
wisdom; knowledge
者 zhě HSK 3
(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ...
千 qiān HSK 2
thousand; see 秋千qiū qiān
虑 lǜ HSK 4
to consider; to think over; anxiety
必 bì HSK 3
must; necessarily; certainly
有 yǒu HSK 1
to have; there is; there are
一 yī HSK 1
one; 1; single
失 shī HSK 4
to lose; to miss; to fail