耳聽為虛，眼見為實 ěr tīng wéi xū ， yǎn jiàn wéi shí

don’t trust talk, only believe what you see

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. Take what you hear to be false, only believe it when you see it (idiom). Don't believe what people tell you until you see if for yourself.
  2. 2. It ain't necessarily so.

Characters

Character Meaning
耳 ěr HSK 3
ear; handle (archaeology)
聽 tīng
to listen; to hear; to obey
為 wéi
for; because of; to
虛 xū
false; empty or unoccupied; (of health) weak
眼 yǎn HSK 2
eye; crux (of a matter); small hole
見 jiàn
to see; to meet; to appear (to be sth)
為 wéi
for; because of; to
實 shí
real; true; really