人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 rén bù kě mào xiàng ， hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng

DEFINITIONS

  1. you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)

CHARACTERS

人 rén
HSK 1
man; people; mankind; someone else
不 bù
HSK 1
no, not; un-; negative prefix
可 kě
HSK 2
may, can, -able; possibly
貌 mào
HSK 4
countenance, appearance
相 xiàng
HSK 3
mutual, reciprocal, each other
海 hǎi
HSK 4
sea, ocean; maritime
水 shuǐ
HSK 1
water, liquid, lotion, juice
不 bù
HSK 1
no, not; un-; negative prefix
可 kě
HSK 2
may, can, -able; possibly
斗 dǒu
HSK 5
Chinese peck; liquid measure
量 liáng
HSK 4
measure, quantity, capacity