xīn心heartlíng灵clevershǒu手handqiǎo巧skillful
Clever and skillful; deft hands and a clever mind.
Literal meaning
heart (心) — clever (灵) — hand (手) — skillful (巧)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase praising someone's cleverness and skill.
Examples
tā xīnlíng-shǒuqiǎo, zuò de shǒugōng fēicháng piàoliang.她心灵手巧，做的手工非常漂亮。
She is clever and skillful, and her handicrafts are very beautiful.
zhè wèi mùjiàng xīnlíng-shǒuqiǎo, néng zuò chū gè zhǒng jīngměi de jiājù.这位木匠心灵手巧，能做出各种精美的家具。
This carpenter is clever and skillful and can make all kinds of exquisite furniture.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe someone who is good at crafts or other manual skills.
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