试玉要烧三日满

試玉要燒三日滿

shì yù yào shāo sān rì mǎn

quotation

Meanings

1 to test jade you must burn it for a full three days
2 true character or worth is only revealed by long, severe testing

Characters

must / needs to

Examples

HSK 6

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 zhēnrén cái, shìyùyàoshāosānrìmǎn ma.

After years of testing, he proved truly talented - 'test jade by burning it three full days,' after all.

HSK 7-9

识人不可操之过急，正所谓试玉要烧三日满。

Shí rén bùkě cāozhīguòjí, zhèng suǒwèi shìyùyàoshāosānrìmǎn.

Judging a person cannot be rushed - as the saying goes, 'to test jade you must burn it a full three days.'

Tips

history

From 白居易's 《放言五首·其三》 (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