曾經滄海難為水

曾经沧海难为水
céngjīngcānghǎinánwéishuǐ

been there, done that

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 曾經滄海 céngjīngcānghǎi
  1. lit. having crossed the vast ocean (idiom)
  2. fig. widely experienced in the vicissitudes of life
=2 難為 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 難為 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 會水 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

曾經滄海難為水，除卻巫山不是雲 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