后生可畏
后生可畏 (hòu shēng kě wèi) literally means “the later-born are to be held in awe” and expresses “youthful potential”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: hou sheng ke wei, hou sheng ke wei,后生可畏 meaning, 后生可畏 in english
Youthful potential
Pronunciation: hòu shēng kě wèi Literal meaning: The later-born are to be held in awe
Origin & Usage
Confucius said that those born later (后生) are to be held in awe (可畏) — how do we know that the ones coming will not equal the present? The second half of the passage is usually left out and is worth having: if a man reaches forty or fifty and has still not been heard of, then he is not worth fearing after all. So the phrase is not simply warm encouragement. 畏 is fear, and what Confucius describes is the proper unease of the established on meeting someone young and good.
Examples
English: "The new students impressed everyone with their innovative ideas and fresh perspectives"
Chinese: 新生们以他们的创新想法和新鲜视角让大家刮目相看
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
死而后已
sǐ ér hòu yǐ
Continue until death; lifelong commitment
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举一反三
jǔ yī fǎn sān
Learn many from one example
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温故知新
wēn gù zhī xīn
Learn new through studying old
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三思而行
sān sī ér xíng
Weigh it before you move
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驷马难追
sì mǎ nán zhuī
Cannot undo what's done
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将计就计
jiāng jì jiù jì
Turn the enemy's own plot against him
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揭竿而起
jiē gān ér qǐ
Grassroots uprising
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韦编三绝
wéi biān sān jué
Diligent, repeated study
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 后生可畏 mean in English?
后生可畏 (hòu shēng kě wèi) literally translates to “The later-born are to be held in awe” and is used to express “Youthful potential”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 后生可畏 used?
Situation: The new students impressed everyone with their innovative ideas and fresh perspectives
What is the pinyin for 后生可畏?
The pinyin pronunciation for 后生可畏 is “hòu shēng kě wèi”.
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