先見の明

せんけんのめい

noun★Intermediate💡 foresight◆idiom

◆ What It Really Means

The mental ability to anticipate future events accurately and make wise decisions based on that anticipation. It implies not just prediction but also the wisdom to act on that prediction.

¶ Literal Meaning

The clarity of seeing into the future.

Literal Breakdown

先見to see ahead or predict+のpossessive particle+明clarity or brightness

◇ Mental Image

A mental image of someone looking into a clear, illuminated path ahead, symbolizing clarity and wisdom in foreseeing future events.

◈ When to Use

A business leader uses this idiom to describe a colleague who predicted a market downturn and adjusted strategies accordingly, avoiding significant losses.

◉ Cultural Note

This idiom reflects the Japanese cultural emphasis on long-term thinking and collective benefit over short-term gains. It is often associated with Confucian values of wisdom and foresight in leadership.

formal

The ability to anticipate future events or trends accurately, often with wise judgment.

この会社は先見の明を持った経営者によって成功を収めた。

This company succeeded thanks to a manager with foresight.

先見の明のある政治家は、長期的な視点で政策を立案する。

A politician with foresight formulates policies from a long-term perspective.

💡

Often used to praise someone's ability to make wise decisions based on future predictions.

Collocations

先見の明があるto have foresight先見の明に欠けるto lack foresight先見の明に優れたhighly foresighted

Synonyms

洞察力先見性見通し

Antonyms

後見の明無計画

Related Phrases

先見性word

foresightedness

見通しが立つphrase

to have a clear vision of the future

未来を読むphrase

to read the future

💡Pro Tip

Use in Business Contexts

This idiom is commonly used to describe leaders or managers who make strategic decisions based on future trends. For example, '先見の明のあるCEO' (a CEO with foresight).

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid Literal Translation

Do not translate this idiom word-for-word. Instead, use 'foresight' or 'foresightedness' to capture its figurative meaning.

📖Word Origin

Composed of 先見 (senken, 'foresight' or 'foresightedness') and 明 (mei, 'clarity' or 'wisdom'). The phrase emphasizes the clarity of vision into the future, combining the concepts of prediction and wise judgment.

📝Usage Notes

This idiom is used in formal contexts, such as business, politics, or personal character descriptions. It is not used in casual conversation.

Word Breakdown

先見

foresight or prediction of the future

compound

の

possessive particle

grammatical

明

clarity or wisdom

noun

和英辞典