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望洋兴叹

wàngyángxīngtàn

Traditional: 望洋興嘆

lit. to gaze at the ocean and lament one's inadequacy (idiom) / fig. to feel powerless and incompetent (to perform a task)

Character Breakdown

望
wàng
to expect, to hope, to look forward to
HSK 2
洋
yáng
sea, ocean; western, foreign
HSK 4
兴
xìng
to thrive, to prosper, to flourish
HSK 1
叹
tàn
to sigh, to admire
HSK 6

Additional Information

Category
Chinese
HSK Character Level
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HSK Word Level
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