人是铁饭是钢 in English ren2 shi4 tie3 fan4 shi4 gang1 Meaning

Meanings

  • one can't function properly on an empty stomach (idiomatic expression)
  • an empty sack cannot stand upright

Simplified Characters

人 是 铁 饭 是 钢

Traditional Characters

人 是 鐵 飯 是 鋼

Pinyin

ren2 shi4 tie3 fan4 shi4 gang1

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

人ren2man 是shi4is 铁tie3surname Tie 饭fan4cooked rice 是shi4is 钢gang1steel