Dictionary › 耳听为虚，眼见为实

耳听为虚，眼见为实

ěr tīng wéi xū , yǎn jiàn wéi shí

9-character word Traditional 耳聽為虛，眼見為實

What 耳听为虚，眼见为实 means

1. idiomwhat one hears may be unreliable, but what one sees is true; seeing is believing

The characters in 耳听为虚，眼见为实

• 耳ěrear; handle (archaeology); and that is all (Classical Chinese)
• 听tīngto listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin")
• 为wéias (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as
• 虚xūemptiness; void; abstract theory or guiding principles
• 眼yǎneye; (often used with 一; small hole
• 见jiànto see; to meet; to appear (to be sth)
• 为wéias (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as
• 实shíreal; true; honest