看家本领 (kān jiā běn lǐng) — one's special skill, one's specialty

Definition

A set phrase for one's signature, best-kept skill — the one you'd rely on when it counts. Often refers to a craft, trade, or competitive edge that defines a person.

noun
one's special skillone's specialty

Examples

  • 看家本领。
    Tā bǎ kān jiā běn lǐng dōu ná chū lái le.
    He pulled out all his special skills.
  • 看家本领。
    Pēng rèn shì tā de kān jiā běn lǐng.
    Cooking is his specialty.
  • 看家本领。
    Zhè cì bǐ sài tā yòng le zì jǐ de kān jiā běn lǐng.
    He used his own special skill in this competition.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

看家watch the home
看kànwatch家jiāhome
动宾Verb + object
本领skill
本běnmain领lǐngleading
联合Side by side

看家 means watching the home and 本领 means skill, so it is the special skill kept for guarding the home.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 看 puts 手 (hand) over 目 (eye), showing a hand placed above the eyes to gaze into the distance.

Open 看 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

本 adds a stroke at the bottom of a tree shape to mark the roots, giving the sense of foundation or original.

Open 本 →

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 領; 领 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng領lǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 領 has 令 as a sound part and 頁 as a meaning part; the simplified 领 is a later shorthand.

Open 领 →

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