鴻鵠之志

See also: 鸿鹄之志

Chinese

	big bird; swan; person with lofty aspirations	's; him/her/it; this	the will
trad. (鴻鵠之志)	鴻鵠	之	志
simp. (鸿鹄之志)	鸿鹄	之	志
Literally: “the ambitions of a (grand) swan”.

Etymology

From Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian.

陳涉少時，嘗與人傭耕，輟耕之壟上，悵恨久之，曰：「苟富貴，無相忘。」傭者笑而應曰：「若為傭耕，何富貴也？」陳涉太息曰：「嗟乎，燕雀安知鴻鵠之志哉！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]

陈涉少时，尝与人佣耕，辍耕之垄上，怅恨久之，曰：“苟富贵，无相忘。”佣者笑而应曰：“若为佣耕，何富贵也？”陈涉太息曰：“嗟乎，燕雀安知鸿鹄之志哉！” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Chén shè shào shí, cháng yǔ rén yōnggēng, chuò gēng zhī lǒng shàng, chànghèn jiǔzhī, yuē: “Gǒu fùguì, wú xiàng wàng.” Yōng zhě xiào ér yìng yuē: “Ruò wèi yōnggēng, hé fùguì yě?” Chén shè tàixī yuē: “Jiē hū, yànquè ān zhī hónghúzhīzhì zāi!” [Pinyin]

When Chen She was young, he worked in the fields with other day laborers. One day, he stopped working and climbed to the top of a hill. He was sullen for quite some time, then said, "If I become rich, I will not forget you all." The other workers laughed, and responded, "You're a day labourer, what riches?" Chen She sighed, and said, "Alas, how can a little songbird understand the ambitions of a grand swan!"

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): hónghúzhīzhì
(Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓㄓˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hung⁴ huk⁶ zi¹ zi³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: hónghúzhīzhì
  - Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓㄓˋ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hornghwujyjyh
  - IPA ^(key): /xʊŋ³⁵ xu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: hung⁴ huk⁶ zi¹ zi³
  - Yale: hùhng huhk jī ji
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hung⁴ huk⁹ dzi¹ dzi³
  - Guangdong Romanization: hung⁴ hug⁶ ji¹ ji³
  - IPA ^(key): /hʊŋ²¹ hʊk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡siː³³/

Idiom

鴻鵠之志

the ambitions of a great person

Derived terms

燕雀安知鴻鵠志／燕雀安知鸿鹄志 (yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì)