不听老人言，吃亏在眼前

Traditional form:

不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前

Pinyin (reading):

bùtīnglǎorényán,chīkuīzàiyǎnqián

Definitions:

• (idiom) ignore your elders at your peril

Characters:

• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 听 - to hear, to listen; to understand; to obey
• 老 - old, aged; experienced
• 人 - man, person; people
• 言 - words, speech; to speak, to say
• 吃 - to eat; to drink; to suffer, to endure, to bear
• 亏 - to lose, to fail; loss, damages; deficient
• 在 - at, in, on; to exist; used to indicate the present progressive tense
• 眼 - eyelet, hole, opening
• 前 - in front, forward; former, preceding

Traditional characters:

• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 聽 - to hear, to listen; to understand; to obey
• 老 - old, aged; experienced
• 人 - man, person; people
• 言 - words, speech; to speak, to say
• 吃 - to eat; to drink; to suffer, to endure, to bear
• 虧 - to lose, to fail; loss, damages; deficient
• 在 - at, in, on; to exist; used to indicate the present progressive tense
• 眼 - eyelet, hole, opening
• 前 - in front, forward; former, preceding