鴻鵠之志

鸿鹄之志
hónghúzhīzhì
  1. (figurative) the ambitions of a great person
  2. the ambitions of a great person

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 鴻鵠 hónghú
  1. swan
  2. person with noble aspirations
2 之 zhī
  1. (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的 de)
  2. him
  3. her
  4. it
=3 志 zhì
  1. aspiration
  2. ambition
  3. the will
=3 志 zhì
  1. sign
  2. mark
  3. to record
  4. to write a footnote

Containing this entry

燕雀安知鴻鵠之志 yànquèānzhīhónghúzhīzhì
  1. lit. can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? (idiom)
  2. fig. how can we small fry predict the ambitions of the great?
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?