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