每天成语
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轻车熟路

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qīng chē shú lù
  • English Translation: Driving a light carriage on a familiar road (doing something with ease due to experience)
  • Idiom Composition: 「轻」（Light; having little weight or burden）＋「车」（Carriage or vehicle）＋「熟」（Familiar; well-acquainted or skilled）＋「路」（Road or path）
  • Meaning: Literally describes driving a light carriage on a well-known path. Figuratively, it refers to performing a task with great ease and efficiency because one is highly experienced and familiar with the situation.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「轻车熟路」 contains the following nuances:

  • Ease Born of Experience: The idiom doesn't just mean 'easy'; it emphasizes that the ease comes specifically from having 'been there and done that.' It is rarely used for a first-time success.
  • Lack of Burden: The 'light carriage' (轻车) imagery suggests that the person is not under pressure and can proceed without obstacles or heavy mental load.

3. Usage

「轻车熟路」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Work and Tasks: Commonly used when a veteran handles a familiar job or when someone takes on a project they have successfully completed in the past.
    • Example:「他是这方面的专家，处理这类问题可以说是轻车熟路。」
      （He is an expert in this field, so handling these types of problems is second nature to him.)
  • Geographical Familiarity: Used when someone is literally familiar with a route, such as a local resident or someone who has traveled a path many times.
    • Example:「虽然是晚上，但他轻车熟路地把我们带到了目的地。」
      （Even though it was night, he led us to our destination as if he were on familiar ground.)
  • Learning and Adaptation: Describes the ability to adapt quickly to a new stage of a project because the foundation was already established previously.
    • Example:「有了上次的经验，这次组织活动大家都觉得轻车熟路多了。」
      （With the previous experience, everyone felt that organizing the event this time was much smoother and easier.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 对于这位老演员来说，扮演这种角色早已是轻车熟路。
    （For this veteran actor, playing this kind of role has long been an easy task.）
  2. 她在这个城市生活了十年，闭着眼睛都能轻车熟路地找到那家店。
    （She has lived in this city for ten years, so she can find that shop with her eyes closed.）
  3. 做这种家常菜，妈妈简直是轻车熟路，一会儿就做好了。
    （Cooking this kind of home-style dish is a breeze for Mom; she finishes it in no time.）
  4. 只要掌握了方法，解这道题就是轻车熟路。
    （As long as you master the method, solving this problem will be plain sailing.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom is derived from the essay 'Preface to Sending off Scholar Shi' (送石处士序) by the famous Tang Dynasty writer Han Yu (韩愈). He used the phrase 'like a four-horse team pulling a light carriage on a familiar road' (若驷马驾轻车，就熟路) to describe how easily a talented person could serve in office.
  • Modern Nuance: In contemporary Chinese, 轻车熟路 (qīng chē shú lù) is almost exclusively positive, used to praise someone's proficiency and reliability. While historical texts might analyze the specific context of Han Yu's essay, modern learners can simply use it to describe mastery and experience.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

轻车熟路 (qīng chē shú lù) is an idiom used to describe someone who can handle a task effortlessly because they have done it many times before. It conveys a sense of confidence and mastery, suggesting that the person is 'on home turf' or that the work is 'second nature' to them.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

qīng chē shú lù
轻车熟路
A Familiar Path
zuò做yī jiàn一件wán quán完全mò shēng陌生de的shì qíng事情，shì是shén me什么gǎn jué感觉？

What does it feel like to do something completely unfamiliar?

kě néng可能nǐ你huì会jué de觉得hěn很lèi累，xīn lǐ心里bēng绷dé得hěn很jǐn紧，měi每yī bù一步dōu都yào要tíng xià lái停下来xiǎng想yī xiǎng一想，shēng pà生怕nǎ lǐ哪里chū cuò出错le了。

You might feel exhausted and tense, stopping at every step to think for fear of making a mistake.

jiù就xiàng像qù去yí gè一个cóng lái从来méi没qù去guò过de的chéng shì城市kāi chē开车，jí shǐ即使kàn看zhe着dì tú地图，shǒu手yě也huì会jǐn jǐn紧紧wò握zhe着fāng xiàng pán方向盘，yì diǎn一点dōu都bù不gǎn敢fēn xīn分心。

It is like driving in a city you have never visited; even with a map, you grip the steering wheel tightly and dare not lose focus.

dàn shì但是，rú guǒ如果zhè这jiàn shì件事nǐ你yǐ jīng已经zuò做guò过yī qiān cì一千次、yī wàn cì一万次le了ne呢？

But what if you have done this thing a thousand or ten thousand times?

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常shēng dòng生动de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“qīng chē shú lù轻车熟路”。

In Chinese, there is a very vivid idiom used specifically to describe this state: 轻车熟路.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn画面gǎn感hěn很qiáng强。

This phrase creates a strong mental image.

“qīng chē轻车”，shì是shuō说chē shàng车上de的fù dān负担hěn很qīng轻，pǎo跑dé得hěn很kuài快；“shú lù熟路”，shì是shuō说zhè这tiáo条lù路nǐ你yǐ jīng已经zǒu guò走过wú shù cì无数次le了，nǎ lǐ哪里yǒu有kēng坑，nǎ lǐ哪里gāi该guǎi wān拐弯，nǐ你bì zhe闭着yǎn jīng眼睛dōu都zhī dào知道。

轻车 means the load on the carriage is light and it moves fast; 熟路 means you have traveled this road countless times, knowing every pothole and turn even with your eyes closed.

bǎ把tā men它们lián连qǐ lái起来，“qīng chē shú lù轻车熟路”miáo shù描述de的jiù shì就是yī zhǒng一种yīn wèi因为jí qí极其shú xī熟悉，suǒ yǐ所以háo bù fèi lì毫不费力、wán quán完全fàng sōng放松de的zhuàng tài状态。

Putting them together, 轻车熟路 describes a state of being effortless and completely relaxed because of extreme familiarity.

wǒ men我们cháng cháng常常yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容nà xiē那些jīng yàn fēng fù经验丰富de的rén人。

We often use it to describe people with rich experience.

bǐ rú比如，yī wèi一位zuò做le了jǐ shí nián几十年de的lǎo老chú shī厨师。

For example, a veteran chef who has cooked for decades.

tā他chǎo cài炒菜de的shí hòu时候，bù不xū yào需要ná拿chēng称qù去chēng称tiáo liào调料，suí shǒu随手yī sā一撒，wèi dào味道jiù就gāng gāng刚刚hǎo好。

When stir-frying, he does not need a scale for seasonings; with a casual sprinkle, the flavor is just right.

huò zhě或者yī wèi一位lǎo sī jī老司机，zài在fù zá复杂de的jiē dào街道shàng上chuān suō穿梭，yī biān一边tīng听zhe着yīn yuè音乐yī biān一边liáo tiān聊天，chē zi车子què却kāi开dé得yòu又wěn稳yòu又kuài快。

Or an experienced driver weaving through complex streets, chatting while listening to music, yet the car remains steady and fast.

duì对páng rén旁人lái来shuō说，zhè xiē这些shì qíng事情kě néng可能hěn很nán难；dàn但duì对tā men他们lái来shuō说，zhè这jiù shì就是“qīng chē shú lù轻车熟路”。

To others, these tasks might be difficult; but for them, it is 轻车熟路.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最yǒu yì si有意思de的dì fāng地方zài yú在于，tā它tí xǐng提醒le了wǒ men我们“qīng sōng轻松”de的lái yuán来源。

The most interesting part of this idiom is that it reminds us of the source of ease.

chē zi车子zhī suǒ yǐ之所以jué de觉得“qīng轻”，bìng bú shì并不是yīn wèi因为lù路biàn变píng平le了，ér shì而是yīn wèi因为nǐ你duì对zhè这tiáo条lù路tài太“shú熟”le了。

The reason the carriage feels light is not because the road became flat, but because you are so 熟 with the path.

suǒ yǒu所有de的“qīng chē shú lù轻车熟路”，zài在zuì最kāi shǐ开始de的shí hòu时候，qí shí其实dōu都shì是kē kē bàn bàn磕磕绊绊de的。

Every instance of 轻车熟路 actually started with stumbling and obstacles.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到bié rén别人zuò做yī jiàn一件shì事xiǎn de显得tè bié特别qīng sōng轻松、tè bié特别xiāo sǎ潇洒shí时，nǐ你kě yǐ可以xiǎng dào想到zhè ge这个cí词。

So, next time you see someone doing something with such ease and style, you can think of this phrase.

nà那bú shì不是yīn wèi因为shì qíng事情jiǎn dān简单，ér shì而是yīn wèi因为tā men他们yǐ jīng已经zài在nà那tiáo条lù shàng路上，zǒu走le了hěn很jiǔ久hěn很jiǔ久。

It is not because the task is simple, but because they have been walking that road for a long, long time.

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