百闻不如一见 bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn Seeing is believing

Explanation

百闻不如一见，意思是说，即使听到很多关于某事物的描述，也不如亲眼看到一次来得直观和深刻。这句话强调了亲身经历的重要性，也反映了人们对直接感知的信赖。

Seeing is believing, meaning that even hearing a lot about something is not as impactful as seeing it for yourself. This phrase emphasizes the importance of personal experience and reflects people's trust in direct perception.

Origin Story

从前，有个老先生，他听说远方有一种名叫“凤凰”的神鸟，美丽非凡。他经常听别人描述凤凰的样子，听得耳朵都起茧了。可他始终没有见过真正的凤凰。有一天，老先生终于决定去远方寻找凤凰。他翻山越岭，历尽千辛万苦，终于找到了凤凰栖息的森林。当他亲眼看到凤凰在阳光下展翅飞翔的时候，不禁感叹道：“百闻不如一见啊！凤凰果然如传说中一样美丽。”从此，老先生再也不满足于听别人描述，而是选择亲自去体验，去感受这个世界的美好。

cóng qián, yǒu ge lǎo xiān shēng, tā tīng shuō yuǎn fāng yǒu yī zhǒng míng jiào “fèng huáng” de shén niǎo, měi lì fēi fán. tā jīng cháng tīng bié rén miáo shù fèng huáng de yàng zi, tīng de ěr duo dōu qǐ jiǎn le. kě tā shǐ zhōng méi yǒu jiàn guò zhēn zhèng de fèng huáng. yǒu yī tiān, lǎo xiān shēng zhōng yú jué dìng qù yuǎn fāng xún zhǎo fèng huáng. tā fān shān yuè lǐng, lì jìn qiān xīn wàn kǔ, zhōng yú zhǎo dào le fèng huáng qī xī de sēn lín. dāng tā qīn yǎn kàn dào fèng huáng zài yáng guāng xià zhǎn chì fēi xiáng de shí hòu, bù jīn gǎn tàn dào: “bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn a! fèng huáng guǒrán rú chuán shuō zhōng yī yàng měi lì.” cóng cǐ, lǎo xiān shēng zài yě bù mǎn zú yú tīng bié rén miáo shù, ér shì xuǎn zé qīn zì qù tǐ yàn, qù gǎn shòu zhè ge shì jiè de měi hǎo.

Once upon a time, there was an old gentleman who heard about a mythical bird called “Phoenix” in a distant land. He often listened to people describe the Phoenix's appearance, and his ears were full of stories. But he had never seen a real Phoenix. One day, the old man finally decided to go to the distant land to find the Phoenix. He climbed mountains and crossed valleys, enduring countless hardships, until he finally found the forest where the Phoenix lived. When he saw with his own eyes the Phoenix spreading its wings and flying in the sunlight, he couldn't help but sigh: “Seeing is believing! The Phoenix is indeed as beautiful as in the legends.” From that day on, the old man was no longer content to listen to descriptions from others, but chose to experience the world for himself and feel its beauty.

Usage

这个成语常用来形容亲眼所见比道听途说更有说服力，也强调了亲身经历的重要性。

zhè ge chéng yǔ cháng yòng lái xíng róng qīn yǎn suǒ jiàn bǐ dào tīng tú shuō gèng yǒu shuō fú lì, yě qiáng diào le qīn shēn jīng lì de zhòng yào xìng.

This idiom is often used to describe how seeing something firsthand is more convincing than hearsay, and it also emphasizes the importance of personal experience.

Examples

• 百闻不如一见，这件艺术品果然名不虚传。

  bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn, zhè jiàn yì shù pǐn guǒrán míng bù xū chuán.

  Seeing is believing, this artwork is truly legendary.

• 我决定去一趟这个地方，因为百闻不如一见。

  wǒ jué dìng qù yī tàng zhè ge dì fāng, yīn wéi bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn

  I decided to go to this place because seeing is believing.

Related Idioms

• 眼见为实

• 耳闻不如目见

Opposite Idioms

• 道听途说

• 空穴来风