燕雀安知鸿鹄之志
Traditional form:
燕雀安知鴻鵠之志
Pinyin (reading):
yànquè'ānzhīhónghúzhīzhì
Definitions:
- 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?
Characters:
- 燕 - lovebird, swallow
- 雀 - sparrow
- 安 - peaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 鸿 - a species of wild swan; vast
- 鹄 - swan
- 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to
- 志 - determination, will; mark, sign; to record, to write
Traditional characters: