不識廬山真面目

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See also: 不识庐山真面目

Chinese

to fail to see; not to know; not to appreciate Mount Lu true features; true identity; true colors
trad. (不識廬山真面目/不識廬山眞面目) 不識 廬山 真面目/眞面目
simp. (不识庐山真面目) 不识 庐山 真面目
Literally: “to be unable to recognize the true face of Mount Lu”.

Etymology

From the poem 題西林壁 by Song dynasty poet Su Shi in 1084.

不識廬山真面目，只緣身在此山中。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: 1084, Su Shi, 題西林壁
Bùshí Lúshān zhēnmiànmù, zhǐ yuán shēn zài cǐ shān zhōng.
I cannot make out the true face of Mount Lu
only because I am within this very mountain.

Pronunciation

Idiom

不識廬山真面目

  1. to not recognize the full picture or true nature of something because one only has a partial understanding of it

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