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试玉要烧三日满

試玉要燒三日滿
shìyùyàoshāosānrìmǎn
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 to test jade you must burn it for a full three days
  2. 2 (fig.) true character or worth is only revealed by long, severe testing
  3. 3 (lit.) test — jade — must — burn — three days — full

Examples

识人不可操之过急，正所谓试玉要烧三日满。
Shí rén bùkě cāo zhī guò jí, zhèng suǒwèi shì yù yào shāo sān rì mǎn.
Judging a person cannot be rushed — as the saying goes, 'to test jade you must burn it a full three days.'
经过多年考验，他果然是真人才，试玉要烧三日满嘛。
Jīngguò duōnián kǎoyàn, tā guǒrán shì zhēn réncái, shì yù yào shāo sān rì mǎn ma.
After years of testing, he proved truly talented — 'test jade by burning it three full days,' after all.

Tips

history
From 白居易《放言五首·其三》 (Bai Juyi, Tang, 815 CE), written in exile: 赠君一法决狐疑，不用钻龟与祝蓍。试玉要烧三日满，辨材须待七年期 (Let me give you a method to settle your doubts — no need to burn turtle shells or cast yarrow stalks. To test jade, burn it three full days; to judge timber, wait seven years). A famous argument that judging character takes time.
usage
Always cited paired with 辨材须待七年期 (to judge timber, wait seven years). 要 here = classical 'must / needs to,' not modern 'want.' A close cousin in meaning to 路遥知马力，日久见人心.

Stroke Order

试 shì
玉 yù
要 yào
烧 shāo
三 sān
日 rì
满 mǎn