also: えいさめのみずげこしらず
expression
a teetotaler doesn't know how good water tastes after drinking
Proverb meaning that someone who never drinks cannot appreciate the relief or pleasure that water brings to a hungover person; used to say that you cannot understand something without experiencing it.
「酔い醒めの水下戸知らず」というように、経験しないとその良さはわからないものだ。
As the proverb goes, 'A teetotaler doesn't know how good water tastes after drinking' — you can't appreciate something without experiencing it.
A Japanese proverb combining 酔い醒め (sobering up), 水 (water), 下戸 (teetotaler), and 知らず (not knowing). The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects the traditional view that only those who have experienced drunkenness can truly appreciate the relief of drinking water when hungover.