曾经沧海难为水

曾經滄海難為水
céngjīngcānghǎinánwéishuǐ

been there, done that

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 曾经沧海 céngjīngcānghǎi
  1. lit. having crossed the vast ocean (idiom)
  2. fig. widely experienced in the vicissitudes of life
=2 难为 nánwei
  1. to bother
  2. to press sb, usu. to do sth
  3. it's a tough job
  4. sorry to bother you (polite, used to thank sb for a favor)
=2 难为 nánwéi
  1. (literary) to be difficult to do
  2. to be difficult to do
=3 水 Shuǐ surname Shui
=3 水 shuǐ
  1. water
  2. (after a name) ... River
  3. to swim (used mostly in 会水 huìshuǐ and 水性 shuǐxìng)
  4. (coll.) lacking in substance; shoddy
  5. (bound form) additional cost; extra income
  6. classifier for washings of a garment

Containing this entry

曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云 céngjīngcānghǎinánwéishuǐ,chúquè Wū Shānbùshìyún
  1. there are no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean, and no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu (idiom)
  2. one who has seen the world doesn't stop at small things