人是鐵飯是鋼 rén shì tiě fàn shì gāng

DEFINITIONS

  1. one can't function properly on an empty stomach (idiom)
  2. an empty sack cannot stand upright

CHARACTERS

人 rén
HSK 1
man; people; mankind; someone else
是 shì
HSK 1
indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
鐵 tiě iron; strong, solid, firm
飯 fàn cooked rice; food; meal
是 shì
HSK 1
indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
鋼 gāng steel; hard, strong, tough