熟能生巧
shúnéngshēngqiǎo
The English phrase 'practice makes perfect' is expressed in Chinese as 熟能生巧 (shúnéngshēngqiǎo).
熟能生巧 is used to convey the idea that if one practices an activity enough, one will eventually master it.
Meaning: if one practices an activity enough, one will eventually master it (proverb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally breaks down to 'familiarity' (熟) 'can' (能) 'produce' (生) 'skill/cleverness' (巧).
How do you pronounce it?
shúnéngshēngqiǎo
Did you know?
- The character 熟 in 熟能生巧 means 'familiarity' or 'skill', but it is the same character used to describe food that is 'cooked' or 'ripe'.
- While the phrase is common, its core message is famously illustrated in the story of the 'Oil Peddler' by Ouyang Xiu, where a man pours oil into a narrow-necked bottle with impossible precision through sheer repetition.
- The character 巧 can mean 'skill', but in other contexts it means 'coincidence' or 'luck', suggesting that mastery can look like a lucky accident to an observer.
Examples in context
- 熟能生巧。Practice makes perfect.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the proverb 熟能生巧 as a complete thought.Tatoeba #358986 by rmgao, translation #266400 by CK
- 我已经练习这个技能很久了，总的来说，熟能生巧。I have been practicing this skill for a long time, and in general, practice makes perfect
- 别灰心，熟能生巧。bié huī xīn, shú néng shēng qiǎo.Don't lose heart, practice makes perfect.
Example conversation
Xiaowen is encouraging Haoran who is struggling to play the piano.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你弹得还不熟练，需要多练习。nǐ tán de hái bù shú liàn, xū yào duō liàn xí.You aren't playing skillfully yet, you need more practice.
- 浩然 Haoran我觉得我真的没有天赋。wǒ jué de wǒ zhēn de méi yǒu tiān fù.I feel like I really have no talent.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen不是的，熟能生巧嘛。bú shì de, shú néng shēng qiǎo ma.That's not true, practice makes perfect.
- 浩然 Haoran好吧，我会继续努力的。hǎo ba, wǒ huì jì xù nǔ lì de.Alright, I will keep working hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “practice makes perfect” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
