一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤

Traditional form:

一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋湯

Pinyin (reading):

yīkēlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōtāng

Definitions:

• lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
• fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch

Characters:

• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 颗 - grain, kernel
• 老 - old, aged; experienced
• 鼠 - rat, mouse
• 屎 - stool, feces, dung
• 坏 - bad, rotten, spoiled; to break down
• 了 - clear; to finish; particle of completed action
• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 锅 - cooking-pot, saucepan
• 汤 - soup, gravy, broth; hot water

Traditional characters:

• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 顆 - grain, kernel
• 老 - old, aged; experienced
• 鼠 - rat, mouse
• 屎 - stool, feces, dung
• 壞 - bad, rotten, spoiled; to break down
• 了 - clear; to finish; particle of completed action
• 一 - one; a, an; alone
• 鍋 - cooking-pot, saucepan
• 湯 - soup, gravy, broth; hot water