人是铁饭是钢 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
铁 tiě
HSK 3
iron; strong, solid, firm
饭 fàn
HSK 1
cooked rice; food, meal
是 shì
HSK 1
indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
钢 gāng
HSK 4
steel; hard, strong, tough