dak1 sam1 jing3 sau2得心應手得心应手
Jyutpingdak1 sam1 jing3 sau2
Yaledāk sām ying sáu
Definition
To do something with ease and high proficiency; working smoothly and effortlessly as one wishes.
colloquialworkdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom describes a state of perfect coordination between one's intentions and actions. It is frequently used in professional or task-oriented contexts to highlight that someone has mastered a skill or has sufficient experience to handle a situation without effort. It implies a sense of flow where the person is completely in control.
Examples
He is used to this job, so he does it very smoothly and easily.
Are you ready? Is everything going smoothly for you?
Related words
Common phrases
to perform a task smoothly and easily
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple adjective like 'easy'. It specifically refers to the person's competence or the smooth execution of a task, rather than the inherent simplicity of the task itself.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
