曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云

Traditional form:

曾經滄海難為水，除卻巫山不是雲

Pinyin (reading):

céngjīngcānghǎinánwéishuǐ,chúquè Wū Shānbùshìyún

Definitions:

• there are no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean, and no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu (idiom)
• one who has seen the world doesn't stop at small things

Characters:

• 曾 - already, formerly, once; the past
• 经 - the classics; to experience, to undergo
• 沧 - azure, cold, vast (all as of the sea)
• 海 - sea, ocean; maritime
• 难 - hard, difficult, arduous; unable
• 为 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 水 - water, liquid, lotion, juice
• 除 - to eliminate, to remove, to wipe out
• 却 - still, but; decline; retreat
• 巫 - wizard, sorcerer, witch, shaman
• 山 - mountain, hill, peak
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 是 - to be; indeed, right, yes; okay
• 云 - cloud; to say, to speak

Traditional characters:

• 曾 - already, formerly, once; the past
• 經 - the classics; to experience, to undergo
• 滄 - azure, cold, vast (all as of the sea)
• 海 - sea, ocean; maritime
• 難 - hard, difficult, arduous; unable
• 為 - to do, to act; to handle, to govern; to be
• 水 - water, liquid, lotion, juice
• 除 - to eliminate, to remove, to wipe out
• 卻 - still, but; decline; retreat
• 巫 - wizard, sorcerer, witch, shaman
• 山 - mountain, hill, peak
• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 是 - to be; indeed, right, yes; okay
• 雲 - cloud; to say, to speak