圣贤

聖賢
shèngxián
noun HSK 7 #24,010

Meanings

  1. 1 sage; saint and wise person
  2. 2 great thinkers of antiquity

Characters

is the highest level (sage), is one step below (wise/virtuous person). Together they mean the greatest minds and moral exemplars.

Examples

Gǔdài shèngxián de sīxiǎng yǐngxiǎng le Zhōngguó jǐ qiān nián.
The ideas of the ancient sages influenced China for thousands of years.
Sānzìjīng shuō: "Rén fēi shèngxián, shú néng wú guò."
The Three Character Classic says: 'No one is a sage — who can be free of faults?'

Tips

culture
圣贤 (No one is a sage; who can be without fault?) is one of the most quoted Chinese proverbs. It's the Chinese equivalent of 'to err is human.' In Confucian tradition, (sage) referred primarily to Confucius himself, the 'Supreme Sage' ().

Stroke Order

shèng
xián