得心应手
- Literal
- the heart grasps it, the hand responds
- Figurative
- To do something with complete ease, the hand doing just what the mind intends; said of a mastered skill or a tool that feels right.
Where does 得心应手 come from?
It comes from the Zhuangzi, chapter "The Way of Heaven." Duke Huan of Qi was reading in his hall while the wheelwright Bian carved a wheel. On learning the book held the words of sages long dead, Bian called it the dregs of the ancients, and when the duke grew angry he explained himself through his craft: neither too slow nor too fast, the right touch is found by the hand and answered by the heart (得之于手而应于心), yet he cannot put it into words or teach it to his son. The idiom reverses the order of that line. Unlike 游刃有余, which is having room to spare, here the hand obeys the intention.
Source (出处): 《庄子·天道》
How is 得心应手 used? Two examples
- 这把刀是我用惯了的，切起菜来得心应手。
This is the knife I'm used to, so chopping vegetables with it comes naturally.
- 换到销售岗位没多久，他跟客户打交道就越来越得心应手了。
Not long after moving into sales, he was handling clients with growing ease.
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