Chinese word

百闻不如一见

Pronunciation

Pinyinbǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn

Meaning

  • idiomseeing is believing

Example

别光听别人说，百闻不如一见。bié guāng tīng bié rén shuō bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn

Don't just listen to what others say; seeing is believing.

Illustration for 百闻不如一见 (seeing is believing)

More examples

大家常说，百闻不如一见。dà jiā cháng shuō bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn

People often say, "Seeing is believing."

Core concept

One clear view gives firmer ground for judgment than many spoken accounts.

Common phrases

  • 常说百闻不如一见cháng shuō bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn

    often say seeing is believing

  • 以百闻不如一见为准yǐ bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn wèi zhǔn

    use seeing is believing as the standard

Similar words

眼见为实yǎn jiàn wèi shí: Treats what is seen with one's own eyes as reliable proof.
亲眼所见qīn yán suǒ jiàn: Refers to facts personally witnessed with one's own eyes.

Definition in Chinese

用来提醒人们不要只听别人说，要亲自看一看以获得确凿印象的成语。yòng lái tí xǐng rén men bú yào zhǐ tīng bié rén shuō yào qīn zì kàn yí kàn yǐ huò dé què záo yìn xiàng de chéng yǔ

Word origin

百 (bǎi, "hundred") + 闻 (wén, "hear") represents many reports, and 一 (yī, "one") + 见 (jiàn, "see") represents one firsthand look; 不如 (bùrú, "be less good than") says the reports fall short.

Usage tips

  • The idiom can describe both a planned visit and a later confirmation, making it useful when an account needs checking against what is actually present.

Other meanings

  • seeing firsthandidiom
  • judging by what one seesidiom

Opposites

  • 听信不疑tīng xìn bù yíbelieve what one hears without questionidiom

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