Word Meaning 渇しても盗泉の水を飲まず

かっしてもとうせんのみずをのまず kasshitemotousen no mizu o nomazu

渇しても盗泉の水を飲まず is read as かっしてもとうせんのみずをのまず (kasshitemotousen no mizu o nomazu) and means better starve than fatten on ill-gotten wealth.

Meaning

English

  1. better starve than fatten on ill-gotten wealth
  2. don't lower yourself to unjust acts, no matter how desperate you are
  3. refraining to drink from a spring called Robber's Spring even if thirsty

Reading

Kana

かっしてもとうせんのみずをのまず

Romaji

kasshitemotousen no mizu o nomazu

Stroke Sequence

12 Characters • 63 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N1 Jōyō Upper Grade Kanken 準2級 Proverb Rank 127148 Priority T

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

渇水

かっすい

water shortage

渇水期

かっすいき

dry season

飲み水

のみみず

drinking water

泉水

せんすい

fountain

飲料水

いんりょうすい

drinking water

清涼飲料水

せいりょういんりょうすい

soft drink

水飲み

みずのみ

(act of) drinking water

飲水量

いんすいりょう

amount of drinking

熱水泉

ねっすいせん

hot spring

温泉水

おんせんすい

hot spring water

水飲み場

みずのみば

drinking fountain

飲用水

いんようすい

potable water