熟练

• Pinyin: shú liàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 熟 = 享 (to enjoy) + 丸 (ball) + 灬 (fire), meaning ripe or familiar; 练 = 纟 (silk) + 东 (east, phonetic), meaning to practise

Meaning

Skilled; proficient; practised. Having mastered a skill through repetition.

Describes a high level of proficiency gained through practice and experience. Used for both physical skills (driving, cooking) and intellectual skills (language, software). Often paired with 地 as an adverb.

Examples

1. 她的英语说得非常熟练。 She speaks English very proficiently.
2. 经过半年的练习，他开车已经很熟练了。 After half a year of practice, he has become very skilled at driving.
3. 熟练使用电脑是这份工作的基本要求。 Proficient use of a computer is a basic requirement for this job.

Usage Guide

Context: work, skills, education

Tone: evaluative

Do Say

• 多练习几次你就会越来越熟练了。(Practise a few more times and you'll get more and more proficient.)
• 他操作这个软件非常熟练。(He is very proficient at using this software.)

Don't Say

• 我对这个城市很熟练。(Don't use 熟练 for familiarity with places — use 熟悉. 熟练 is for skills, not knowledge of places.)

Origin & History

Compound of 熟 (ripe, cooked, familiar) and 练 (to practise, to train), meaning thoroughly practised.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal