燕雀焉知鸿鹄之志

Traditional form:

燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志

Pinyin (reading):

yànquèyānzhīhónggǔzhīzhì

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
• 焉 - why? where? how?; strange; thereupon, then
• 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:

• 燕 - lovebird, swallow
• 雀 - sparrow
• 焉 - why? where? how?; strange; thereupon, then
• 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
• 鴻 - a species of wild swan; vast
• 鵠 - 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