# 燕雀安知鴻鵠志
## Chinese

| | | bramble finch; brambling | how | to know; to be aware | big bird; swan; person with lofty aspirations | the will |
| trad. (燕雀安知鴻鵠志) | trad. (燕雀安知鴻鵠志) | 燕雀 | 安 | 知 | 鴻鵠 | 志 |
| simp. (燕雀安知鸿鹄志) | simp. (燕雀安知鸿鹄志) | 燕雀 | 安 | 知 | 鸿鹄 | 志 |

### 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.]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.]From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCEChén Shè shàoshí, cháng yǔ rén yōnggēng. Chuò gēng zhī lǒng shàng, chànghèn jiǔzhī, yuē: “Gǒu fùguì, wú xiàngwàng.” Yōng zhě xiào ér yìng yuē: “Ruò wèi yōnggēng, hé fùguì yě?” Chén Shè tàixī yuē: “Jiēhū, yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhī zhì 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): yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì
    (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄢ ㄓ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓˋ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jin$^3$ zoek$^3$ on$^1$ zi$^1$ hung$^4$ huk$^6$ zi$^3$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄢ ㄓ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yàncyuè an jhih hónghú jhìh
*** Wade–Giles: yen$^4$-chʻüeh$^4$ an$^1$ chih$^1$ hung$^2$-hu$^2$ chih$^4$
*** Yale: yàn-chywè ān jr̄ húng-hú jr̀
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yannchiueh an jy hornghwu jyh
*** Palladius: яньцюэ ань чжи хунху чжи (janʹcjue anʹ čži xunxu čži)
*** Sinological IPA : /jɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹ ˀän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xʊŋ³⁵ xu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jin$^3$ zoek$^3$ on$^1$ zi$^1$ hung$^4$ huk$^6$ zi$^3$
*** Yale: yin jeuk ōn jī hùhng huhk ji
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jin$^3$ dzoek$^8$ on$^1$ dzi$^1$ hung$^4$ huk$^9$ dzi$^3$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yin$^3$ zêg$^3$ on$^1$ ji$^1$ hung$^4$ hug$^6$ ji$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːn³³ t͡sœːk̚³ ɔːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹ hʊk̚² t͡siː³³/
* Middle Chinese: 'enH tsjak 'an trje huwng howk tsyiH
Rime :
| Character | 燕 | 雀 | 安 | 知 | 鴻 | 鵠 | 志 |
| Reading # | 2/2 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/1 | 1/2 | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 影 (34) | 精 (13) | 影 (34) | 知 (9) | 匣 (33) | 匣 (33) | 章 (23) |
| Final (韻) | 先 (85) | 藥 (107) | 寒 (61) | 支 (11) | 東 (1) | 沃 (6) | 之 (19) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) | Checked (Ø) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) | Level (Ø) | Checked (Ø) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | IV | III | I | III | I | I | III |
| Fanqie | 於甸切 | 即略切 | 烏寒切 | 陟移切 | 戸公切 | 胡沃切 | 職吏切 |
| Baxter | 'enH | tsjak | 'an | trje | huwng | howk | tsyiH |
| Reconstructions ||||||||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ʔen$^H$/ | /t͡sɨɐk̚/ | /ʔɑn/ | /ʈiᴇ/ | /ɦuŋ/ | /ɦuok̚/ | /t͡ɕɨ$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʔen$^H$/ | /t͡siɐk̚/ | /ʔɑn/ | /ʈiɛ/ | /ɦuŋ/ | /ɦuok̚/ | /t͡ɕɨ$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ʔɛn$^H$/ | /t͡siɑk̚/ | /ʔɑn/ | /ȶjɛ/ | /ɣuŋ/ | /ɣok̚/ | /t͡ɕie$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʔɛn$^H$/ | /t͡sɨak̚/ | /ʔan/ | /ʈiə̆/ | /ɦəwŋ/ | /ɦawk̚/ | /cɨ$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /ʔen$^H$/ | /t͡siak̚/ | /ʔɑn/ | /ȶie/ | /ɣuŋ/ | /ɣok̚/ | /t͡ɕiə$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /ien$^H$/ | /t͡sĭak̚/ | /ɑn/ | /ȶǐe/ | /ɣuŋ/ | /ɣuok̚/ | /t͡ɕĭə$^H$/ |
| Bernard Karlgren | /ʔien$^H$/ | /t͡si̯ak̚/ | /ʔɑn/ | /ȶie̯/ | /ɣuŋ/ | /ɣuok̚/ | /t͡ɕi$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | yàn | jue | ān | zhī | hóng | hú | zhì |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jin$^3$ | zoek$^3$ | on$^1$ | zi$^1$ | hung$^4$ | huk$^6$ | zi$^3$ |

### Proverb

燕雀安知鴻鵠志
* (figuratively) How can an ordinary person understand the ambitions of a great person?
    From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14th century CE
    Zhì yèfēn, xiànlìng huàn qīnsuí rén àndì qǔ chū Cáo Cāo, qiě zhì hòuyuàn zhōng shěnjiū; wèn yuē: “Wǒ wén chéngxiàng dài rǔ bùbó, hégù zìqǔqíhuò?” Cāo yuē: “‘Yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì zāi’? Rǔ jì ná zhù wǒ, biàndang jiě qù qǐngshǎng. Hébì duō wèn!” [Pinyin]
    At midnight, the county governor ordered his personal aides to discreetly escort Cao Cao to the rear courtyard for questioning; he asked, "I have heard that the chancellor treats you very well, so why have you brought such trouble upon yourself?" Cao said, "'How can a little songbird understand the ambitions of a grand swan?' You have captured me, and now you can leisurely turn me over to the authorities and collect your reward. Why ask more questions!"

#### Related terms

* 鴻鵠之志／鸿鹄之志 (hónghúzhīzhì)

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 燕雀(えんじゃく)安(いずく)んぞ鴻鵠(こうこく)の志(こころざし)を知(し)らんや (enjaku izukunzo kōkoku no kokorozashi o shiran'ya) (calque)