燕雀安知鴻鵠之志 yàn què ān zhī hóng hú zhī zhì

small minds can't know great ambitions

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great?
  2. 2. lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
燕 yàn
swallow (family Hirundinidae); variant of 燕yàn
雀 què HSK 6
sparrow; small bird; also pr. qiǎo
安 ān HSK 3
safe; secure; safety
知 zhī HSK 2
to know; to be aware
鴻 hóng
great; large; eastern bean goose
鵠 hú
goal; target
之 zhī HSK 4
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的de); it
志 zhì HSK 4
aspiration; ambition; the will