| 食之无味，弃之可惜 |
shí zhī wú wèi , qì zhī kě xī |
lit. to be hardly worth eating, but it would still be a pity to discard it (idiom) / fig. some things have little to no value, yet one is still reluctant to part with them |
| 食 |
shí |
to eat / food / animal feed / eclipse |
| 食 |
sì |
to feed (a person or animal) |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 无 |
mó |
used in 南无 |
| 无 |
wú |
not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less |
| 无味 |
wú wèi |
flavorless; unpalatable / odorless / dull; uninteresting |
| 味 |
wèi |
taste / smell / (fig.) (noun suffix) feel / quality / sense / (TCM) classifier for ingredients of a medicine prescription |
| 弃 |
qì |
to abandon / to relinquish / to discard / to throw away |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 可 |
kě |
(prefix) can; may; able to; -able / to approve; to permit / to suit / (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very / but; however |
| 可 |
kè |
used in 可汗 |
| 可惜 |
kě xī |
it is a pity / what a pity / unfortunately |
| 惜 |
xī |
to cherish / to begrudge / to pity / Taiwan pr. [xi2] |