朽木不可雕

1. • lit. rotten wood cannot be carved (idiom)
2. • fig. you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

Character by character

• 朽(xiǔ)rotten
• 木(mù)surname Mu
• 不(bù)no
• 可(kě)can
• 雕(diāo)carve