sing3 jin4聖賢圣贤
Jyutpingsing3 jin4
Yalesing yìhn
Definition
Sages and men of virtue; people of great wisdom and high moral character.
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How it's used
Refers specifically to figures from classical Chinese philosophy who possess both exceptional wisdom and moral integrity. It is rarely used in casual conversation to describe ordinary people, often appearing in discussions about traditional ethics or academic study. Using it to describe a modern person usually carries a tone of irony or high praise for someone who is exceptionally selfless.
Examples
He reads so many books, does he really want to become a sage?
Are the teachings of the sages from the past still applicable today?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 醒目, which means clever or smart in a practical, everyday sense. 聖賢 implies a deep, historical, and moral weight that 醒目 lacks.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
