熟能生巧 shú néng shēng qiǎo
practice makes perfect
Literally: familiar can produce skill
Tap a character above to see its stroke order and the words it appears in.
Origin
Associated with the Song dynasty story of the archer Chen Yaozi and the old oil-seller in Ouyang Xiu's Guitian Lu, who poured oil through a coin hole and said it was only long practice.
How to use it
Standalone sentence or predicate; positive. Often 熟能生巧,多练习就好了.
Example sentences
Show:
Tap any word for its meaning and pinyin. The chengyu is highlighted.
- 别担心,熟能生巧,多写几次你就会了。Bié dānxīn, shú néng shēng qiǎo, duō xiě jǐ cì nǐ jiù huì le.Don't worry, practice makes perfect; write it a few more times and you'll get it.don't worry, familiar can produce skill, more write several times you then can (particle)
- 我刚开始做饭的时候很慢,现在熟能生巧,半个小时就能做好。Wǒ gāng kāishǐ zuòfàn de shíhou hěn màn, xiànzài shú néng shēng qiǎo, bàn gè xiǎoshí jiù néng zuòhǎo.When I first started cooking I was slow; now practice has made perfect and I can finish in half an hour.I just begin cook (particle) time very slow, now familiar can produce skill, half (measure) hour then can make-ready
More chengyu about study & effort
- 一心一意yī xīn yī yìwholeheartedly; with undivided attention
- 全心全意quán xīn quán yìwith all one's heart; devotedly
- 温故知新wēn gù zhī xīnto gain new insight by reviewing what one has learned
- 日积月累rì jī yuè lěito build up over time; accumulated day by day
- 专心致志zhuān xīn zhì zhìto concentrate fully; with single-minded devotion
- 学以致用xué yǐ zhì yòngto put what one has learned into practice
- 三心二意sān xīn èr yìhalf-hearted; unable to make up one's mind
- 半途而废bàn tú ér fèito give up halfway; to leave something unfinished