大智若愚

dàzhì-ruòyú

idiom

Meanings

1 great wisdom appears as foolishness
2 truly wise people seem unremarkable
3 hiding brilliance behind a plain exterior

Characters

to seem / as if

Examples

HSK 3

他平时话不多，其实大智若愚。

Tā píngshí huà bù duō, qíshí dàzhì-ruòyú.

He's a man of few words, but his wisdom runs deep.

HSK 6

真正的高手往往大智若愚。

Zhēnzhèng de gāoshǒu wǎngwǎng dàzhì-ruòyú.

True masters often hide their brilliance behind a plain appearance.

HSK 7-9

老教授一副糊涂样，却是大智若愚。

Lǎo jiàoshòu yī fù hútu yàng, què shì dàzhì-ruòyú.

The old professor seems muddled, but he's a case of great wisdom worn as simplicity.

Tips

history

From 苏轼 (Song dynasty) 《贺欧阳少师致仕启》: 大勇若怯，大智如愚 - 'great courage looks like cowardice; great wisdom looks like foolishness.' Su Shi praised Ouyang Xiu's humble retirement with this line.

Stroke Order

大 dà

智 zhì

若 ruò

愚 yú