曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云
céng​jīng​cāng​hǎi​nán​wéi​shuǐ​chú​què​wū​shān​bù​shì​yún

no rivers compare after the ocean, no clouds compare after Mount Wu

  1. 曾经 曾經 céng​jīng adverb
    once
    previously; in the past; indicates that an action has happened before, often used in combination with 过 guo
  2. 沧海 滄海 cāng​hǎi
    the sea
    the deep blue sea; the vast ocean
  3. 难为 難為 nán​wéi
    hard to do
    (bound form) Difficult to perform, manage, or achieve.
  4. 水 shuǐ noun
    water
    water; a liquid, juice, or lotion
  5. ， chú
    non-Chinese
  6. 除却 除卻 chú​què
    except
    besides; except for; apart from; often used in literary contexts or with 都 dōu and 也 yě
  7. 巫山 wū​shān
    Wu Mountain (Chongqing/Hubei)
    A mountain range along the Yangtze River on the border of Chongqing and Hubei, famous for the Three Gorges
  8. 不是 bù​shì verb
    no
    to not be; is not; used to express negation
  9. 云 雲 yún noun
    cloud
    cloud; any cloud-like mass of smoke, dust, or steam in the air