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先知先觉

先知先覺
xiānzhī-xiānjué
idiom #43,791

Meanings

  1. 1 one who knows and awakens ahead of others
  2. 2 a visionary
  3. 3 of foresight

Examples

他是这个行业的先知先觉者。
Tā shì zhège hángyè de xiānzhīxiānjué zhě.
He is a visionary in this industry.
真正的先知先觉往往不被理解。
Zhēnzhèng de xiānzhīxiānjué wǎngwǎng bù bèi lǐjiě.
True visionaries are often misunderstood.

Tips

history
From 《孟子·万章下》: "先知觉后知，先觉觉后觉" — those who know first help the later-knowing to awaken. Mencius frames visionary teachers as a duty of care.
usage
Sometimes used sincerely (a real visionary), sometimes ironically (someone who "just knew" after the fact).

Stroke Order

先 xiān
知 zhī
觉 jué