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业精于勤荒于嬉

業精於勤荒於嬉
yèjīngyúqínhuāngyúxī
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 mastery comes from diligence, neglect from idle play
  2. 2 (fig.) achievement is built by discipline; skill decays through goofing off
  3. 3 (lit.) craft becomes refined through diligence, wasted through frivolity

Examples

老师常教导学生业精于勤荒于嬉，要把时间用在学习上。
Lǎoshī cháng jiàodǎo xuéshēng yè jīng yú qín huāng yú xī, yào bǎ shíjiān yòng zài xuéxí shàng.
The teacher often reminds students: 'mastery comes from diligence, neglect from idle play' — use your time for study.
运动员深知业精于勤荒于嬉的道理，每天都刻苦训练。
Yùndòngyuán shēnzhī yè jīng yú qín huāng yú xī de dàolǐ, měitiān dōu kèkǔ xùnliàn.
Athletes know well 'skill is honed by diligence, wrecked by play,' and train hard every day.

Tips

history
From 韩愈《进学解》(Han Yu, 'Explanation of Learning's Advance,' middle Tang, c. 803 CE): 业精于勤，荒于嬉；行成于思，毁于随 (Work is perfected through diligence and ruined through idle play; conduct is formed through reflection and destroyed through drift). Han Yu frames the essay as a teacher addressing his students (with himself as the mock-deflated teacher); it became a standard text for exam candidates for over a thousand years.
usage
Almost always quoted with the follow-up 行成于思毁于随. 于 here is the classical 'by / through' particle. 嬉 = xī ('to play / frolic'). Used in classrooms, op-eds, and motivational writing everywhere.

Stroke Order

业 yè
精 jīng
于 yú
勤 qín
荒 huāng
嬉 xī