諺語 · a single proverb
熟能生巧
What does 熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) mean?
熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "familiarity breeds skill." In use it means: Mastery comes through repeated practice; what begins as clumsy effort becomes effortless art through repetition. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "familiarity breeds skill."
The reading
The oil seller poured through a tiny hole in a coin without spilling a drop. No magic. No special talent. Just ten thousand pourings before this one. Skill is not a gift. It is a receipt for time spent. The only people who make difficult things look easy are the people who have done them until they forgot they were difficult.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修, The Story of the Oil Seller (賣油翁)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 熟能生巧 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修, The Story of the Oil Seller (賣油翁). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 熟能生巧?
In Mandarin it is shú néng shēng qiǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 熟能生巧 aloud in Mandarin.