食之无味,弃之可惜

shí zhī wú wèi , qì zhī kě xī

lit. to be hardly worth eating, but it would still be a pity to discard it (idiom)

fig. some things have little to no value, yet one is still reluctant to part with them

食

shí

to eat

之

zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])

无

wú

not to have

味

wèi

taste

,

,

弃

qì

to abandon

之

zhī

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])

可

kě

(prefix) can; may; able to; -able

惜

xī

to cherish