小聪明

小聰明

xiǎocōngming

noun #13,869

Meanings

1 petty cleverness; cheap tricks
2 being clever in trivial matters but lacking real wisdom

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

别耍小聪明了。

Bié shuǎ xiǎocōngming le.

Stop playing your petty tricks.

HSK 7-9

他喜欢耍小聪明，结果吃了亏。

Tā xǐhuan shuǎ xiǎocōngming, jiéguǒ chī le kuī.

He liked playing clever tricks, and ended up suffering for it.

Tips

usage

小聪明 is always negative - it implies someone is cunning in petty ways but lacks real intelligence. The verb used with it is 耍 (to play/show off).

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo

聪 cōng

明 míng