Chinese Culture 百发百中 One Hundred Shots, One Hundred Hits

Key Learning Points:

能手 (néngshǒu): n. an expert/someone who masters a certain skill perfectly
中 (zhòng): v. to hit

Idiom Story

Yǎng Yóujī shì gǔdài zhùmíng de shèjiàn néngshǒu.
养       由基 是    古代    著名       的   射箭        能手。

Yang Youji was afamous marksman in ancient China.

Dāngshí, háiyǒu yígè shèjiàn néngshǒu jiào Pān Dǎng. Tā néng měi jiàn dōu shè zhòng
当时，      还有     一个射箭     能手       叫    潘     党。 他   能    每    箭   都    射 中
jiànbǎ de bǎxīn.
箭靶    的   靶心。

There was another talented marksman named Pan Dang. He hit the bulls-eye on every shot he took.

Yǎng Yóujī duì Pān Dǎng shuō: "Rúguǒ nǐ néng zài bǎi bù zhī wài shè zhòng liǔyè,
养       由基  对   潘     党       说:  “如果 你  能     在 百  步  之  外   射    中     柳叶，
nǐ cáishì zhēnzhèng de shèjiàn néngshǒu."
你 才 是    真正       的    射箭       能手。”

Yang Youji told Pān Dǎng: "if you can hit the willow leaves from a hundred steps away you will be a true sharpshooter."

Pān Dǎng bù fúqì, yúshì xuǎnle liǔshù shàng de sān piàn yèzi, bìng yòng yī, èr, sān biāo hào.
潘     党      不服气，于是   选了    柳树    上     的   三    片  叶子，并    用  一、二、三 标    号。

Pan Dang doubted that anyone could achieve this. To be sure, he carefully chose three willow leaves and marked them one, two and three.

Ránhòu tā ràng Yǎng Yóujī tuì dào bǎi bù zhī wài, àn shùnxù qù shè.
然后       他  让      养    由基 退  到   百  步  之  外，按   顺序   去   射。

He then asked Yang Youji to back away one hundred steps, and then shot the leaves in order one by one.

Yǎng Yóujī lián shè sān jiàn, sān jiàn dōu fēicháng zhǔnquè de shèzhòngle yèxīn.
养      由基   连    射  三    箭，三    箭  都     非常         准确    地    射中了      叶心。
Cóngcǐ bǎifābǎizhòng zhège chéngyǔ jiù liúchuán xiàlái le.
从此       百发百中          这个      成语   就   流传      下来了。
 

Yang Youji hit the target three times in a row.His three shoots accurately hit the target. Since then, this idiom "百发百中(bǎifābǎizhòng) One hundred shots, one hundred hits" has been handed down.

The Chinese idiom "百发百中 (bǎifābǎizhòng)" literally means "to shoot at the target a hundred times without missing it once." This idiom was first used to describe one's excellent shooting skills. It is now used to describe people who are very well prepared and have had great success in their endeavors.

Key Learning Points:

能手 (néngshǒu): n. an expert/someone who masters a certain skill.

Example:

Lily shì zuòfàn de néngshǒu.
Lily 是   做饭    的    能手。

Lily is very good at cooking.

中 (zhòng): v. to hit

"中" is a word which can be pronounced both as "zhōng" and "zhòng." When "中" is pronounced as "zhōng," it is a preposition that means "middle/center," for example: "中间 (zhōngjiān) middle." When "中" is pronounced as "zhòng," it is a verb that means "to hit” or "win/get a prize."

Example:    

        Nǐ zěnme zhème gāoxìng ya?
John: 你怎么    这么      高兴    呀？

         Why are you so happy?

        Zuótiān mǎi cǎipiào zhòngle sānbǎi yuán.
  Lily: 昨天     买     彩票      中了      300      元。

         I bought a lottery ticket yesterday and I won three hundred yuan.