yī​nián​bèi​shé​yǎo​shí​nián​pà​jǐng​shéng

once bitten, twice shy

一年被蛇咬,十年怕井绳 一年被蛇咬,十年怕井繩 yī​nián​bèi​shé​yǎo​shí​nián​pà​jǐng​shéng
once bitten, twice shy
Once bitten by a snake, one is scared for ten years at the sight of a well rope; used to describe being extremely cautious or fearful after a single bad experience.