得心应手
得心应手 (dé xīn yìng shǒu) literally means “heart obtains, hand responds” and expresses “work with great ease; have complete mastery”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: de xin ying shou, de xin ying shou,得心应手 meaning, 得心应手 in english
Work with great ease; have complete mastery
Pronunciation: dé xīn yìng shǒu
Literal meaning: Heart obtains, hand responds
Origin & Usage
This idiom describes the heart (心) obtaining (得) and the hand (手) responding (应). It depicts perfect coordination between intention and execution. The phrase captures the experience of mastery where action flows naturally from thought. Modern usage describes performing tasks with complete facility, when skill has become so internalized that execution is effortless.
Examples
English: "The artist's brush moved exactly as she imagined."
Chinese: 艺术家运笔得心应手。
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Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
驾轻就熟
jià qīng jiù shú
Be very familiar with; handle with expertise
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轻车熟路
qīng chē shú lù
Be experienced; find something easy due to familiarity
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游刃有余
yóu rèn yǒu yú
Handle with ease; have skill to spare
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成竹在胸
chéng zhú zài xiōng
Have a well-thought-out plan; be confident
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恰如其分
qià rú qí fèn
Perfectly appropriate; fitting exactly
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恰到好处
qià dào hǎo chù
Just right; perfectly appropriate
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适可而止
shì kě ér zhǐ
Stop at the right point; practice moderation
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见好就收
jiàn hǎo jiù shōu
Quit while ahead; take profits
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 得心应手 mean in English?
得心应手 (dé xīn yìng shǒu) literally translates to “Heart obtains, hand responds” and is used to express “Work with great ease; have complete mastery”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 得心应手 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving work with great ease; have complete mastery.
What is the pinyin for 得心应手?
The pinyin pronunciation for 得心应手 is “dé xīn yìng shǒu”.