| 刀不磨要生锈，人不学要落后 |
dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù , rén bù xué yào luò hòu |
(proverb) a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study |
| 刀 |
Dāo |
surname Dao |
| 刀 |
dāo |
knife / blade / single-edged sword / cutlass / CL:把 / (slang) dollar (loanword) / classifier for sets of one hundred sheets (of paper) / classifier for knife cuts or stabs |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 磨 |
mó |
to rub / to grind / to polish / to sharpen / to wear down / to die out / to waste time / to pester / to insist |
| 磨 |
mò |
grindstone / to grind / to turn round |
| 要 |
yāo |
(bound form) to demand; to coerce |
| 要 |
yào |
to want; to need; to ask for / will; shall; about to / need to; should / if (same as 要是) / (bound form) important |
| 生 |
shēng |
to be born / to give birth / life / to grow / raw / uncooked / student |
| 生锈 |
shēng xiù |
(of metal) to rust; to become rusty / (fig.) (of a skill etc) to get rusty; to deteriorate |
| 锈 |
xiù |
variant of 锈 |
| 锈 |
xiù |
to rust |
| 人 |
rén |
person; people / CL:个,位 |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 学 |
xué |
to learn / to study / to imitate / science / -ology |
| 要 |
yāo |
(bound form) to demand; to coerce |
| 要 |
yào |
to want; to need; to ask for / will; shall; about to / need to; should / if (same as 要是) / (bound form) important |
| 落 |
là |
to leave out / to be missing / to leave behind or forget to bring / to lag or fall behind |
| 落 |
lào |
colloquial reading for 落 in certain compounds |
| 落 |
luò |
to fall or drop / (of the sun) to set / (of a tide) to go out / to lower / to decline or sink / to lag or fall behind / to fall onto / to rest with / to get or receive / to write down / whereabouts / settlement |
| 落后 |
luò hòu |
to fall behind / to lag (in technology etc) / backward / to retrogress |
| 后 |
Hòu |
surname Hou |
| 后 |
hòu |
empress / queen / (archaic) monarch / ruler |
| 后 |
hòu |
back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later / post- |