🥄 熟能生巧 shú néng shēng qiǎo – Practice Makes Perfect

🔍 What It Means

熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) literally means “skill comes from familiarity.”

It tells us that by doing something over and over again, we can naturally become better and even clever at it.

✅ It’s all about the power of practice.

📖 Word-for-word:

• 熟 (shú) – familiar / practiced

• 能 (néng) – can / ability

• 生 (shēng) – give birth to / produce

• 巧 (qiǎo) – skill / cleverness

💬 In English, it’s like:

• 🏹 “Practice makes perfect”

• 🧠 “Repetition creates skill”

• 💪 “Doing leads to mastery”

🏺 Where It Comes From

A long time ago, a man was famous for his archery. He could hit the target every time and felt very proud. 

One day, he was showing off his skills in the garden. Many people were amazed — except for one old man selling oil.

The old man quietly watched and said, “There’s nothing special. It’s just practice.”

The archer was angry and asked what he meant.

The old man didn’t argue. Instead, he picked up a coin with a square hole and placed it over the mouth of a bottle. 

Then he slowly poured oil from a spoon. The oil went straight through the tiny hole into the bottle — not a single drop spilled.

He looked up and said, “See? This isn’t magic. I don’t need talent. I’ve just done it thousands of times.”

And from this moment, the saying 熟能生巧 — “Practice makes perfect” — was born.

💬 How to Use It

Use 熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) when:

• someone is improving through regular practice

• you want to encourage consistency over talent

• talking about learning a skill (language, cooking, sports, etc.)

✅ Common in school, work, and training settings

🚫 Not used to describe luck or quick results

🎯 Real Examples

1.

别担心说不好中文，熟能生巧，多练就行！

Bié dānxīn shuō bù hǎo Zhōngwén, shú néng shēng qiǎo, duō liàn jiù xíng!

👉🏻 Don’t worry about your Chinese — practice makes perfect! Just keep speaking.

2.

刚开始他画得不怎么样，后来天天练习，真是熟能生巧。

Gāng kāishǐ tā huà de bù zěnme yàng, hòulái tiāntiān liànxí, zhēn shì shú néng shēng qiǎo.

👉🏻 His early drawings weren’t great, but after practicing daily, he really improved.

⚠️ Common Mistakes (Watch Out!)

❌ Mistake: Using it for situations that involve instant success

✅ Correct: It must involve practice over time.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine an old man holding a spoon filled with oil.

Below the spoon sits a small coin with a square hole — perfectly balanced on the mouth of a bottle.

Slowly, carefully, he pours…

The oil flows down in a thin stream — straight through the tiny hole. Not a drop is spilled.

Then he smiles and says:

“No talent. Just practice.”

That’s 熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) — when steady effort turns into real, impressive skill.

🧩 Interactive Practice

Translate this sentence into English:

• 多练习书法吧，熟能生巧！

• (Duō liànxí shūfǎ ba, shú néng shēng qiǎo!)

Answer:

• 👉🏻 Practice calligraphy more — practice makes perfect!

🌟 Final Thoughts

熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo) reminds us that talent isn’t everything.

📚 Keep showing up. Keep practicing.

Over time, what once felt hard… becomes natural.

Ask yourself:

What skill are you building, one day at a time?

✨ One tiny win, every day… that’s mastery.

🏮 One story ends, but many more await…

👉 Stay tuned for the next idiom in this series!