勤能补拙
qín néng bǔ zhuō
hard work makes up for lack of talent
Character by character
勤qín
diligence
diligence
能néng
can
can
补bǔ
mend
mend
拙zhuō
clumsiness
clumsiness
Example
勤能补拙，多练习总会进步的。
Hard work makes up for a lack of talent — keep practising and you’ll improve.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
A modest motto, often said of oneself.
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