有板有眼

yǒubǎnyǒuyǎn
idiom #46,839

Meanings

  1. 1 orderly and methodical
  2. 2 well-paced and rhythmical
  3. 3 (of speech or action) measured and proper

Examples

Xiǎo péngyou jiǎng gùshi jiǎng de yǒubǎnyǒuyǎn.
The little kid tells stories with proper rhythm and pacing.
Tā zuòshì yǒubǎnyǒuyǎn, cóng bù mǎhu.
He does things in a measured, methodical way and is never sloppy.
Xīn yuángōng xiě bàogào xiě de yǒubǎnyǒuyǎn, ràng rén guāmùxiāngkàn.
The new hire writes reports in such a polished, methodical way that people sit up and take notice.

Tips

culture
and originally refer to the strong and weak beats in Chinese opera ( = beat/measure). Doing something 有板有眼 is doing it on the beat — exactly right.
memory
Think of it like 'has the beat, has the offbeat' — perfectly in time.

Stroke Order

yǒu
bǎn
yǎn