心灵手巧 (xīn líng shǒu qiǎo) — (idiom) clever and dexterous, ingenious and skillful

Definition

Idiom praising someone whose mind is sharp and hands are skillful — used for people (craftspeople, artisans) who work well with their hands. Pairs with 得心应手 (skilled at a task) but stresses the person's natural ability rather than on-the-job mastery.

idiom
clever and dexterousingenious and skillful

Examples

  • ,心灵手巧,。
    Tā bù jǐn cōng ming, ér qiě xīn líng shǒu qiǎo, zuò de gōng yì pǐn fēi cháng jīng zhì.
    She is not only smart but also clever and dexterous; the handicrafts she makes are very exquisite.
  • 心灵手巧,。
    Zhè wèi lǎo jiàng rén xīn líng shǒu qiǎo, shén me fù zá de huó dōu néng wán chéng.
    This old craftsman is ingenious and skillful; he can finish any complex task.
  • 心灵手巧,。
    Tā xīn líng shǒu qiǎo, hěn kuài jiù bǎ huài diào de zhōng biǎo xiū hǎo le.
    He is clever and dexterous; he quickly repaired the broken clock.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

心灵heart clever
心xīnheart灵língclever
主谓Subject + predicate
手巧hands skillful
手shǒuhand巧qiǎoskillful
主谓Subject + predicate

The “心” is “灵” and the “手” is “巧”, giving cleverness.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
霝
霝líng靈líng
Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Open 灵 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Open 手 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo巧qiǎo
Same sound today

巧 is made of 工 and 丂; 工 points to its meaning, and 丂 points to its sound.

Open 巧 →

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