Definition
小聪明 refers to a kind of petty, short‑sighted cleverness — the kind people use to get small advantages through tricks or shortcuts rather than real effort. It has a negative connotation; the act of using it is usually expressed with the verb 耍 (shuǎ), as in 耍小聪明 ('to play tricks / be a smart aleck'). The opposite is 大智慧 (great wisdom).
n.
(pejorative) petty clevernesstrickinessplaying smart in trivial matters
Examples
- 小聪明，。Tā zǒngshì shuǎ xiǎo cōng ming, jiéguǒ méi rén xiāngxìn tā.He always plays petty tricks, and as a result no one trusts him.
- 小聪明，。Zuò xuéwen bùnéng kào xiǎo cōng ming, yídìng yào xià kǔ gōngfu.To do scholarship you can't rely on petty cleverness; you must put in hard work.
- 小聪明，。Tā yòng xiǎo cōng ming yìngfù miànshì, zuìhòu háishì méiyǒu dédào nà fèn gōngzuò.He used petty cleverness to get through the interview, but in the end he didn't get the job.
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