聪明一世，糊涂一时 cōng ming yī shì ， hú tu yī shí

even the wise can make brief mistakes

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. even the wisest can have a momentary lapse in judgment (idiom)
  2. 2. every man has a fool in his sleeve

Characters

Character Meaning
聪 cōng HSK 3
clever; intelligent; sharp-witted
明 ming HSK 1
bright; (of meaning) clear; to understand
一 yī HSK 1
one; 1; single
世 shì HSK 3
world; era; age
糊 hú HSK 5
paste; muddled; scorched
涂 tu HSK 5
to apply (paint etc); to smear; to daub
一 yī HSK 1
one; 1; single
时 shí HSK 1
time; when; o'clock