燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志

燕
燕
雀
雀
焉
焉
知
知
鸿
鴻
鹄
鵠
之
之
志
志
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 and words in 燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志

燕
ya̅n = y + an1
Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning / north Hebei / the four Yan kingdoms of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely: Former Yan 前燕[Qian2 Yan1] (337-370), Later Yan 後燕|后燕[Hou4 Yan1] (384-409), Southern Yan 南燕[Nan2 Yan1] (398-410), Northern Yan 北燕[Bei3 Yan1] (409-436) / surname Yan
燕
yàn = y + an4
swallow (family Hirundinidae) / old variant of 宴[yan4]
燕 = 北 + 口 + 廿 + 灬 : Maud Younger (y) put a swallow (燕) on a grill (灬) in the anthill's bathroom (an4), but before she did that she oriented the grill towards east using a compass rose (北). She also put a mandarin (口) in the swallow's mouth. Later she'll put the swallow in a flower pot (廿) when it is done.
燕
鷰
yàn = y + an4
variant of 燕[yan4]
燕 = 北 + 口 + 廿 + 灬 : Maud Younger (y) put a swallow (燕) on a grill (灬) in the anthill's bathroom (an4), but before she did that she oriented the grill towards east using a compass rose (北). She also put a mandarin (口) in the swallow's mouth. Later she'll put the swallow in a flower pot (廿) when it is done.
燕
雀
(bird species of China) brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) / (fig.) small fry
雀
qia̅o = qi + ao1
a freckle / lentigo
雀
què = qu + e4
(bound form) small bird / sparrow / also pr. [qiao3]
焉
ya̅n = y + an1
where / how
焉
知
(literary) how is one to know?
知
zhi̅ = zh + Ø1
to know / to be aware
知 = 口 + 矢 : Mnemonic symbol: Francis Bacon is attributed to have stated "scientia potentia est", "knowledge is power". I'll thus represent 知 by Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon (知) and James II of England (zh) are playing darts (矢) in front of the space station (Ø1). Because they lack a dart board they just use a mandarin (口).
鸿
鴻
hóng = hu + (e)ng2
eastern bean goose / great / large
鸿 = 江 + 鸟 : Helga Horse (hu) is going to kill and eat a turkey (鸟) in the engine's kitchen ((e)ng2) when suddenly a huge river (江) forms and an eastern bean goose (鸿) floats by to rescue the turkey.
鸿
鴻
鹄
鵠
swan / person with noble aspirations
鹄
鵠
gǔ = gu + Ø3
center or bull's eye of an archery target (old) / goal / target
鹄
鵠
hú = hu + Ø2
swan
之
zhi̅ = zh + Ø1
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]) / him / her / it
之 = 丶 + Z : Mnemonic symbol: Sooo sleepy... "zZz" (the character looks like a "Z"). James II of England (zh) fell asleep in front of the space station (Ø1). He sleeps on a big petal leaf (丶), making loud "zZz" (之) sounds.
志
zhì = zh + Ø4
aspiration / ambition / the will
志
誌
zhì = zh + Ø4
sign / mark / to record / to write a footnote
志 = 士 + 心 : Mnemonic symbol: a sticky note. James II of England (zh) writes down his poems on sticky notes (志) in the space station's bathroom (Ø4). As he reads them to the bachelor (士), the bachelor is really moved by James II of England's ambitions (志) and wants to give James II of England his heart (心).

Words with 燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志

燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志 is not used as a component in another word.

Sentences with 燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志

燕雀焉知鴻鵠之志 currently does not appear in any sentence.