不识庐山真面目

bù shí lú shān zhēn miàn mù

lit. not to know the true face of Lushan Mountain (idiom)

fig. can't see the forest for the trees

不

bù

no; not so

识

shí

to know

庐

lú

hut

山

shān

mountain; hill (CL:座[zuo4])

真

zhēn

really

面

miàn

variant of 麵|面[mian4]

目

mù

eye