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熟练 (shú liàn) — skilled, proficient, practiced

Definition

熟练 describes a skill made smooth through repeated practice — 'practiced, proficient'. It emphasizes the process of training; 精 points to innate, refined mastery.

adjective
skilledproficientpracticed

Examples

  • 熟练，。
    Tā dǎ zì hěn shú liàn, yì fēn zhōng néng dǎ yì bǎi duō gè zì.
    He types very skillfully — he can type over a hundred characters per minute.
  • ，熟练。
    Jīng guò sān gè yuè de liàn xí, tā yǐ jīng fēi cháng shú liàn le.
    After three months of practice, she has become very proficient.
  • 熟练，。
    Zhè wèi gōng rén cāo zuò jī qì shí fēn shú liàn, cóng lái méi yǒu chū guò wèn tí.
    This worker operates the machine very skillfully and has never had a problem.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

熟shúskilled
练liànpracticed

熟 and 练 both suggest being well practiced, giving the sense of skillful.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

熟 combines 孰 (cooked; ripe) with 灬 (fire), showing food cooked with fire.

Open 熟 →

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 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn練liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 练 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Personality & Traits

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