疾风知劲草，烈火见真金
Traditional form:
疾風知勁草，烈火見真金
Pinyin (reading):
jífēngzhījìncǎo,lièhuǒjiànzhēnjīn
Definitions:
- lit. sturdy grass withstands high winds and true gold stands the test of fire (idiom)
- fig. strength of character is revealed in a crisis
Characters:
- 疾 - sickness, illness, disease; to envy, to hate
- 风 - wind; air; customs, manners; news
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 劲 - strong, tough, unyielding; power, energy
- 草 - grass, herbs; straw, thatch
- 烈 - fiery, violent; ardent, vehement
- 火 - fire, flame; to burn; anger, rage
- 见 - to see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 真 - real, actual, true, genuine
- 金 - gold, metal; money
Traditional characters:
- 疾 - sickness, illness, disease; to envy, to hate
- 風 - wind; air; customs, manners; news
- 知 - to know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 勁 - strong, tough, unyielding; power, energy
- 草 - grass, herbs; straw, thatch
- 烈 - fiery, violent; ardent, vehement
- 火 - fire, flame; to burn; anger, rage
- 見 - to see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 真 - real, actual, true, genuine
- 金 - gold, metal; money