海水不可斗量

hǎishuǐbùkědǒuliáng
see 人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 rénbùkěmàoxiàng,hǎishuǐbùkědǒuliáng

CEDICT

（谚语）比喻不可小看别人。《喻世明言．卷一七．金玉奴棒打薄情郎》：「有人算我八字，到五十岁上，必然发迹。常言『海水不可斗量』，你休料我！」也作「海水难量」。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 海水 hǎishuǐ seawater
2 不可 bùkě cannot; should not; must not
3 斗 dǒu
  1. dry measure for grain equal to ten 升 shēng or one-tenth of a 石 dàn
  2. decaliter
  3. peck
  4. cup or dipper shaped object
  5. old variant of 陡 dǒu
4 量 liáng to measure

Containing this entry

人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 rénbùkěmàoxiàng,hǎishuǐbùkědǒuliáng you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)