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HSK 4 Chinese reading practice

熟能生巧

shú néng shēng qiǎo

Practice Makes Perfect

A proud archer meets an oil seller whose quiet demonstration shows what repeated practice can do.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 4
READ4 min
HANZI317
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文化
CULTURE

Does the original story say 熟能生巧?

熟能生巧 means that skill develops through repeated practice. Ouyang Xiu's account in the Record of Returning to the Fields does not use the later four-character idiom; the oil seller instead says 惟手熟尔, or “it is only that my hand is well practiced.”

Key vocabulary12 words from this story
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Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01陈尧咨射出十支箭，有多少支打中了目标？
02老人为什么没有特别称赞陈尧咨？
03老人把油倒进葫芦，说明了什么？
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Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 熟能生巧

What does 熟能生巧 mean in English?

熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) literally means “familiarity can produce skill.” It describes repeated practice makes someone increasingly skillful at a task.

When is 熟能生巧 used?

Use 熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) when steady repetition has turned an unfamiliar activity into a practiced skill. For example: After preparing the same pastry every morning for a year, she could shape each one quickly and evenly—熟能生巧.

What is the pinyin for 熟能生巧?

The pinyin pronunciation for 熟能生巧 is “shú néng shēng qiǎo.”