Chinese

		(refers to something that happened previously); already; at some time in the past (refers to something that happened previously); already; at some time in the past; before; once; great-grand (father)	classics; sacred book; pass through classics; sacred book; pass through; to undergo; scripture	vast ocean; large ocean	disaster; distress; to scold disaster; distress; to scold; difficult (to...); problem; difficulty; difficult; not good	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	water; river
trad. (曾經滄海難為水)		曾	經	滄海	難	為	水
simp. (曾经沧海难为水)		曾	经	沧海	难	为	水

Idiom

曾經滄海難為水

1. been there, done that

   • 2001: Zhong Jin (仲进) ed., 曾经沧海难为水亚洲首富李兆基徘徊于房地产陷阱 (headline of a news article)

     曾經滄海難為水亞洲首富李兆基徘徊於房地產陷阱 [MSC, trad.]

     曾经沧海难为水亚洲首富李兆基徘徊于房地产陷阱 [MSC, simp.]

     céngjīngcānghǎinánwèishuǐ yàzhōu shǒu fù lǐ zhào jī páihuái yú fángdìchǎn xiànjǐng [Pinyin]

     Been there, done that ... Asia's richest man, Li Zhaoji, avoids being sucked into the real estate

References

1. ↑ Legend has it that Yuan Zhen wrote these five poems after his wife passed away