聪明一世，糊涂一时

Traditional form:

聰明一世，糊塗一時

Pinyin (reading):

cōngmingyīshì,hútuyīshí

Definitions:

• (idiom) even the wisest can have a momentary lapse in judgment; every man has a fool in his sleeve

Characters:

• 聪 - sharp (of sight and hearing); intelligent, clever, bright
• 明 - bright, clear; to explain, to understand, to shed light
• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 世 - generation, era, age; world
• 糊 - muddled; paste; to stick on with paste
• 涂 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 时 - time, season; period, era, age

Traditional characters:

• 聰 - sharp (of sight and hearing); intelligent, clever, bright
• 明 - bright, clear; to explain, to understand, to shed light
• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 世 - generation, era, age; world
• 糊 - muddled; paste; to stick on with paste
• 塗 - to smear, to scribble, to daub; surname
• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 時 - time, season; period, era, age