擅长
shàncháng
In Chinese, the verb meaning to excel is 擅长 (shàncháng).
擅长 is used to express that someone is much better than others.
Meaning: intransitive: to be much better than others (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 擅长 means to excel at or be skilled in a field, it is used for abilities and skills, whereas 优秀 is used to describe a person who is excellent or outstanding.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 擅长 is typically followed directly by a noun or a gerund-like noun phrase representing a field or skill.
How do you pronounce it?
shàncháng
Did you know?
- While 擅长 describes a skill, Chinese uses the word 牛 (meaning 'cow' or 'ox') as a slang adjective to describe someone who excels or is 'awesome' at something.
- In Chinese culture, excelling at a skill is often attributed to 苦练, which literally means 'bitter practice'. This emphasizes that excellence is a result of hardship rather than innate talent.
- Chinese has a specific term 学霸 (study hegemon) for students who excel academically, combining the word for 'study' with a term for a military warlord.
Examples in context
- 澳大利亚人擅长体育和娱乐。Australians excel at sports and entertainment.This sentence shows how to use 擅长 to describe excelling at certain fields.Tatoeba #8555760 by slo_oth, translation #51638 by AlanF_US
- 他非常擅长解决复杂的问题。Tā fēicháng shàncháng jiějué fùzá de wèntí.He excels at solving complex problems.
- 她不仅会写代码，还很擅长设计。Tā bùjǐn huì xiě dàimǎ, hái hěn shàncháng shèjì.She not only knows how to code, but also excels at design.
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are discussing a colleague's skills at work.
- 伟 Wei你觉得他在工作中表现怎么样？Nǐ juéde tā zài gōngzuò zhōng biǎoxiàn zěnmeyàng?How do you think he performs at work?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他很擅长管理团队。Tā hěn shàncháng guǎnlǐ tuánduì.He excels at managing teams.
- 伟 Wei确实，大家都非常信任他。Quèshí, dàjiā dōu fēicháng xìnrèn tā.Indeed, everyone trusts him very much.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这也是他能晋升的原因。Zhè yěshì tā néng jìnshēng de yuányīn.That is also why he was able to get promoted.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
