熟能生巧

shú néng shēng qiǎo

  • Meaning

    Literal

    -

    Usage

    This indicates that practice makes perfect or leads to great technique

  • Connotation

    Positive

  • Usage Examples

    她每天都练习弹钢琴,因为她知道, 熟能生巧 | Tā měitiān dū liànxí dàn gāngqín, yīnwèi tā zhīdào, shúnéngshēngqiǎo
    She practices the piano every single day because she knows that practice makes perfect
    [Source]

  • Equivalents

    English

    Practice makes perfect

    Chinese

    None

  • Entry Notes

    None

  • Origin

    《镜花缘》(Jìng Huā Yuán), a Qīng-era (清, 1644 - 1911) fantasy novel by 李汝珍 (Lǐ Rǔ Zhēn). It is often translated as "The Marriage of Flowers in the Mirror" or "Romance of Flowers in the Mirror."

  • Story

    During the Sòng Dynasty (宋, 960 - 1279) there lived a man named 陈尧咨 (Chén Yáo Zī). 陈尧咨 was an unparalleled archer, and he loved to boast of his own prowess.

    One day, he was practicing his archery in his courtyard when an old man selling oil walked in. When the old man saw the archer practicing, he put down his containers of oil and started to watch. Unfazed, 陈尧咨 lifted his bow, nocked it, and then in rapid succession shot ten arrows, most of which struck their mark dead in the center. The man nodded slightly in approval.

    A bit put off, 陈尧咨 ran over and asked, "What, do you know how to shoot as well? Aren't my skills amazing?"

    The man answered, "No, I can't shoot, but you're not anything out of the ordinary. You've just had practice."

    陈尧咨 grew enraged, and he snapped, "Who do you think you are to criticize me like this?!"

    "I know how these things work because of my own experience with pouring oil," responded the old man. And with that, he bent down, pulled out a coin with a hole in the middle of it, and placed it across the mouth of one of his empty containers. He then scooped some oil out of one of his other containers with a ladle and poured it straight through the mouth of the coin without so much as spilling a drop. When he was finished, he said, "See, it's nothing special -- it's just a matter of practice."

    陈尧咨 responded to this logic with a laugh, and sent the man away.

  • Citations and Helpful Resources

    • 汉语成语小词典 (hànyǔ chéngyǔ xiǎo cídiǎn)
    • 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn)
    • 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn)
    • 汉语大词典 (hànyǔ dà cídiǎn)
    • ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary
    • Pleco Basic Chinese-English Dictionary
    • 百度百科[x]
    • 七故事网[x]
    • 汉语大词典[x]
    • 瑞文网[x]
    • 语文米[x]