small bird; person of limited vision
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
swallows and sparrows; small birds (mentioned in ancient texts)
Literally refers to small birds such as swallows and sparrows. Often contrasted with 鸿鹄 (swan) in classical Chinese texts.
Yàn燕
què雀
zài在
wū屋
yán檐
xià下
zhù筑
cháo巢
。
Swallows and sparrows build nests under the eaves.
Zhè这
xiē些
yàn燕
què雀
kàn看
qǐ起
lái来
hěn很
huó活
po泼
。
These small birds look very lively.
noun
figurative: a person of limited ambition or narrow vision; small-minded person
literaryCommonly used in the idiom 燕雀安知鸿鹄之志 (how can a sparrow know the ambitions of a swan?), originating from Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian.
Yàn燕
què雀
ān安
zhī知
hóng鸿
hú鹄
zhī之
zhì志
zāi哉
？
How can a sparrow understand the ambitions of a swan?
Bù不
yào要
mǎn满
zú足
yú于
zuò做
yàn燕
què雀
，
yào要
yǒu有
hóng鸿
hú鹄
zhī之
zhì志
。
Don't be content to be a small-minded person; have great ambitions like a swan.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Zài在
zhè这
xiē些
dà大
rén人
wù物
miàn面
qián前
，
tā他
jué觉
de得
zì自
jǐ己
zhǐ只
shì是
yàn燕
què雀
。
In front of these great figures, he felt he was just a nobody with limited vision.