駕輕就熟

Chinese

	to drive; to draw; to harness to drive; to draw; to harness; to mount	light; easy; gentle light; easy; gentle; soft; reckless; unimportant; frivolous; small in number; unstressed; neutral	at once; then; right away at once; then; right away; only; (emphasis); to approach; to move towards; to undertake	familiar; skilled; ripe familiar; skilled; ripe; done; cooked
trad. (駕輕就熟)	駕	輕	就	熟
simp. (驾轻就熟)	驾	轻	就	熟
Literally: “to drive a light carriage on a familiar route”.

Etymology

First attested in 810 CE, in Han Yu's prose:

與之語道理，辨古今事當否，論人高下，事後當成敗，若河決下流而東注，若駟馬駕輕車就熟路，而王良、造父為之先後也，若燭照數計而龜卜也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

与之语道理，辨古今事当否，论人高下，事后当成败，若河决下流而东注，若驷马驾轻车就熟路，而王良、造父为之先后也，若烛照数计而龟卜也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 810, 韓愈,《送石處士序》

Yǔ zhī yǔ dàolǐ, biàn gǔjīn shì dàng fǒu, lùn rén gāoxià, shìhòu dàng chéngbài, ruò hé jué xià liú ér dōng zhù, ruò sìmǎ jià qīng chē jiù shú lù, ér Wáng Liáng, Zàofǔ wèi zhī xiānhòu yě, ruò zhú zhào shù jì ér guī bǔ yě. [Pinyin]

When he reasons with others his eloquence is like the River overflowing and running eastward; when he discusses the right and wrong of ancient and contemporary affairs he is so sure of his ground that it is like a four-horse carriage driven through familiar roads with Wang Liang and Tsao Fu taking the reins; and when he assesses the abilities of men and their future success or failure, his prognostication is as clear and revealing as examining under candlelight, counting by numbers or divining with the aid of tortoise shells.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): jiàqīngjiùshú, jiàqīngjiùshóu

(Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄥㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕㄨˊ, ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄥㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gaa³ hing¹ zau⁶ suk⁶ / gaa³ heng¹ zau⁶ suk⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): kà-kheng-chiū-sio̍k / kà-kheng-chiū-se̍k

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, literary; standard in Mainland; variant in Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiàqīngjiùshú
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄥㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕㄨˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiàcingjiòushú
  - Wade–Giles: chia⁴-chʻing¹-chiu⁴-shu²
  - Yale: jyà-chīng-jyòu-shú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiahchingjiowshwu
  - Palladius: цзяцинцзюшу (czjacinczjušu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ʂu³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, colloquial; standard in Mainland and Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: jiàqīngjiùshóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄥㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄕㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jiàcingjiòushóu
  - Wade–Giles: chia⁴-chʻing¹-chiu⁴-shou²
  - Yale: jyà-chīng-jyòu-shóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiahchingjiowshour
  - Palladius: цзяцинцзюшоу (czjacinczjušou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: gaa³ hing¹ zau⁶ suk⁶ / gaa³ heng¹ zau⁶ suk⁶
  - Yale: ga hīng jauh suhk / ga hēng jauh suhk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gaa³ hing¹ dzau⁶ suk⁹ / gaa³ heng¹ dzau⁶ suk⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: ga³ hing¹ zeo⁶ sug⁶ / ga³ héng¹ zeo⁶ sug⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaː³³ hɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐu̯²² sʊk̚²/, /kaː³³ hɛːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐu̯²² sʊk̚²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kà-kheng-chiū-sio̍k
  - Tâi-lô: kà-khing-tsiū-sio̍k
  - Phofsit Daibuun: karqengciuxsiok
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ka²¹⁻⁵³ kʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡siu²²⁻²¹ siɔk̚⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kà-kheng-chiū-se̍k
  - Tâi-lô: kà-khing-tsiū-si̍k
  - Phofsit Daibuun: karqengciuxsek
  - IPA (Xiamen): /ka²¹⁻⁵³ kʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡siu²²⁻²¹ siɪk̚⁴/

Idiom

駕輕就熟

to perform a task with which one is very familiar with great ease; (to deem a task) a piece of cake; (to go for) a hay ride

Synonyms

輕車熟路／轻车熟路 (qīngchēshúlù)