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熟能生巧

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Chinese

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familiar; skilled; ripe
familiar; skilled; ripe; done; cooked
 
ability; can; may
ability; can; may; capable; energy; able
 
to be born; to give birth; life
to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw
 
opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens
opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens; skilful; timely
 
trad. (熟能生巧)
simp. #(熟能生巧)

Etymology

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First attested to the story The Oil Peddler by Ouyang Xiu.

陳康肅公堯咨當世無雙自矜。康肅:「?」:「。」康肅忿:「!」:「。」葫蘆:「。」康肅 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
陈康肃公尧咨当世无双自矜。康肃:「?」:「。」康肃忿:「!」:「。」葫芦湿:「。」康肃 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: "The Oil Peddler" (賣油翁) by Ouyang Xiu
Chén Kāngsùgōng Yáozī shàn shè, dāngshì wúshuāng, gōng yì yǐ cǐ zìjīn. Cháng shè yú jiā pǔ, yǒu mài yóu wēng shì dān ér lì, nì zhī, jiǔ ér bù qù. Jiàn qí fā shǐ shí zhōng bā jiǔ, dàn wēi hàn zhī. Kāngsù wèn yuē: “Rǔ yì zhī shè hū? Wú shè bù yì jīng hū?” Wēng yuē: “Wú tā, dàn shǒu shú ěr.” Kāngsù fèn rán yuē: “Ěr ān gǎn qīng wú shè!” Wēng yuē: “Yǐ wǒ zhuó yóu zhī zhī.” Nǎi qǔ yī húlú zhì yú dì, yǐ qián fù qí kǒu, xú yǐ biāo zhuó yóu lì zhī, zì qián kǒng rù, ér qián bù shī. Yīn yuē: “Wǒ yì wú tā, wéi shǒu shú ěr.” Kāngsù xiào ér qiǎn zhī. [Pinyin]
Chen Yaozi, titled Kangsu, was good at archery. He was unparalleled at the time, so he boasted of his achievements. Once, he was shooting in the yard at home when an oil peddler put down his load and stood up, looked, and did not leave for a long time. The peddler saw him hit eight to nine arrows in ten, but nodded slightly. Kangsu asked: "do you know how to shoot? isn't my shooting good?" The peddler said: "you have nothing but good technique." Kangsu angrily replied: "how dare you underestimate my archery?" The peddler said: "through my knowledge in pouring oil." Hence, he took out a bottle gourd, placing it on the ground, and covered the mouth with a coin, slowly using a ladle and dripped the oil in. The oil drips through the hole on the coin, but the coin wasn't wet. So, he said: "I have nothing too, my hands are merely proficient." Kangsu sent him away with a smile.

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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熟能生巧

  1. practice makes perfect