術業有專攻

Chinese

		method; technique	business; occupation; study	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	to specialise in a certain field; to major
trad. (術業有專攻)		術	業	有	專攻
simp. (术业有专攻)		术	业	有	专攻

Etymology

From a very famous prose by Han Yu:

聞道有先後，術業有專攻，如是而已。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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闻道有先后，术业有专攻，如是而已。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: circa 9th century, Han Yu, 《師說》, translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang

Wéndào yǒu xiānhòu, shùyè yǒu zhuāngōng, rúshì éryǐ. [Pinyin]

Some learn the truth earlier than others, and some have special skills—that is all.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shù yè yǒu zhuāngōng

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄨˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄓㄨㄢ ㄍㄨㄥ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shù yè yǒu zhuāngōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄨˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄓㄨㄢ ㄍㄨㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shù yè yǒu jhuangong
    • Wade–Giles: shu⁴ yeh⁴ yu³ chuan¹-kung¹
    • Yale: shù yè yǒu jwān-gūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shuh yeh yeou juangong
    • Palladius: шу е ю чжуаньгун (šu je ju čžuanʹgun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂu⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɛ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯än⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

術業有專攻

1. to possess a knowledge of a special skill