如人飲水,冷暖自知
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Chinese[edit]
as (if); such as | man; person; people | to drink water | coldness and warmness; daily changes in temperature | to be personally aware; to know thyself | |||
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trad. (如人飲水,冷暖自知) | 如 | 人 | 飲水 | , | 冷暖 | 自知 | |
simp. (如人饮水,冷暖自知) | 如 | 人 | 饮水 | , | 冷暖 | 自知 | |
Literally: “Only the person drinking the water knows whether it is warm or cold.” |
Etymology[edit]
From The Transmission of the Lamp (《景德傳燈錄》卷第四).
Pronunciation[edit]
Proverb[edit]
如人飲水,冷暖自知
- One must personally experience something in order to know what it's like.