吃一堑，长一智

Fall into the moat and you'll be wiser next time (idiom); One only learns from one's mistakes.

to eat / to consume / to eat at (a cafeteria etc) / to eradicate / to destroy / to absorb / to suffer / to stammer (Taiwan pr. for this sense is [ji2])

variant of 吃[chi1]

one / single / a (article) / as soon as / entire; whole; all; throughout / "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1) / also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out numbers digit by digit

moat around a city

length / long / forever / always / constantly

chief / head / elder / to grow / to develop / to increase / to enhance

wisdom / knowledge

wise; wisdom