食色性也 shí sè xìng yě

DEFINITIONS

  1. Appetite and lust are only natural (Mencius 6A:4).
  2. By nature we desire food and sex.

CHARACTERS

食 shí
HSK 5
eat; meal; food; KangXi radical number 184
色 sè
HSK 2
color, tint, hue, shade; form, body; beauty, desire for beauty
性 xìng
HSK 4
nature, character, sex
也 yě
HSK 2
also; classical final particle of strong affirmation or identity