好记性不如烂笔头

Traditional form:

好記性不如爛筆頭

Pinyin (reading):

hǎojìxìngbùrúlànbǐtóu

Definitions:

• the palest ink is better than the best memory (idiom)

Characters:

• 好 - good, excellent, fine; proper, suitable; well
• 记 - mark, sign; to note, to record
• 性 - sex, nature, character; suffix converting a verb to an adjective
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 如 - as, as if, like, such as, supposing
• 烂 - overcooked, overripe; rotten, spoiled
• 笔 - pen, pencil, writing brush; to compose, to write; Hanzi stroke
• 头 - head; chief, boss; first, top

Traditional characters:

• 好 - good, excellent, fine; proper, suitable; well
• 記 - mark, sign; to note, to record
• 性 - sex, nature, character; suffix converting a verb to an adjective
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 如 - as, as if, like, such as, supposing
• 爛 - overcooked, overripe; rotten, spoiled
• 筆 - pen, pencil, writing brush; to compose, to write; Hanzi stroke
• 頭 - head; chief, boss; first, top