圣贤

聖賢
shèngxián
noun HSK 7-9 #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

HSK 3
Gǔdài shèngxián de sīxiǎng yǐngxiǎng le Zhōngguó jǐ qiānnián.
The ideas of the ancient sages influenced China for thousands of years.
HSK 7-9
三字经:“圣贤。”
《 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
人非圣贤,孰能无过 (no one is a sage; who can be without fault) is one of the most quoted Chinese proverbs - the Chinese equivalent of 'to err is human.' In Confucian tradition, (sage) referred primarily to Confucius himself, the Supreme Sage 至圣.

Stroke Order

shèng
xián