吃一堑，长一智

吃一堑，长一智

Literally means:

a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit

Actually means:

learn from one's mistake

堑 (ditch) is failure or setback; 智 is wisdom, experience, or knowledge.

The phrase means that a person should learn from his failure or mistake. It is often used to stress the importance of studying one's mistakes to avoid them in the future, and to encourage people who once failed to keep trying.

堑，深沟，比喻失败和挫折；智，智慧、见识。

比喻碰到一次失败或吃了一次亏，就从中吸取一次教训，增加一分见识。