學外語要花好幾年的時間才能學得精通。

It takes years to master a foreign language.

Source: Tatoeba

Sentence Composition

1 xué
  1. to learn
  2. to study
  3. to imitate
  4. science
  5. -ology
2 外語 wài foreign language

classifier:

=3 yāo (bound form) to demand; to coerce
=3 yào
  1. to want; to need; to ask for
  2. will; shall; about to
  3. need to; should
  4. if (same as 要是 yàoshi)
  5. (bound form) important
=3 yǎo
  1. (archaic) alternative form of (yǎo)
  2. alternative form of (yǎo)
  3. used in 要褭要袅
=4 Huā surname Hua
=4 huā
  1. flower
  2. blossom
  3. fancy pattern
  4. florid
  5. to spend (money, time)
  6. (coll.) lecherous
  7. lustful

classifiers: , , , , ,

=4 huā old variant of huā
=4 huā
  1. variant of huā
  2. flower
  3. blossom
  4. also pr. wěi
5 好幾年 hǎonián several years
=6 de
  1. of; ~'s (possessive particle)
  2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun)
  3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
  4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 de "one made of leather" or 跑堂儿的 pǎotángrde "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 xīnde "new one")
  5. also pr. or di in poetry and songs
=6 a taxi; a cab (abbr. for 的士 shì)
=6 really and truly
=6 (bound form) bull's-eye; target
7 時間 shíjiān
  1. (concept of) time
  2. (duration of) time
  3. (point in) time
8 才能 cáinéng
  1. talent
  2. ability
  3. capacity
9 xué
  1. to learn
  2. to study
  3. to imitate
  4. science
  5. -ology
=10
  1. to obtain
  2. to get
  3. to gain
  4. to catch (a disease)
  5. proper
  6. suitable
  7. proud
  8. contented
  9. to allow
  10. to permit
  11. ready
  12. finished
=10 used in 得瑟 se
=10 de structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc
=10 děi
  1. to have to
  2. must
  3. ought to
  4. to need to
11 精通 jīngtōng
  1. to be proficient in
  2. to master (a subject)