Chinese
燕雀焉知鸿鹄之志 / 燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志 [yànquèyānzhīhónggǔzhīzhì]
lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom); fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great?
Notes
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Example Sentences
Contains
燕
yàn つばめ 연
swallow (bird)
燕雀
yànquè えんじゃく
(bird species of China) brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)
雀
què すずめ 작
sparrow
焉
いずく.んぞ 언
thereupon
焉知
yānzhī
(literary) how is one to know?
知
zhī し.る 지
know
之
zhī の 지
[attributive particle]
志
zhì シリング 지
purpose, will
鴻
おおとり 홍
species of wild swan
鴻鵠
hónghú こうこく
swan
1 more