本性难移 běn xìng nán yí

DEFINITIONS

  1. It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are.
  2. Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)

CHARACTERS

本 běn root, origin, source; basis
性 xìng nature, character, sex
难 nán difficult, arduous, hard; unable
移 yí change place, shift; move about