勤能補拙

勤能补拙
qínnéngbǔzhuō

diligence makes up for one's dullness

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

=1 勤 qín
  1. diligent; industrious; hardworking
  2. frequent; regular; constant
  3. (bound form) work; duty; attendance
=1 勤 qín
  1. variant of 勤 qín
  2. industrious
  3. solicitous
=2 能 Néng surname Neng
=2 能 néng
  1. can
  2. to be able to
  3. might possibly
  4. ability
  5. (physics) energy
=2 能 nài
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 耐 (“to bear; to withstand”)
  2. a surname
  3. alternative form of 耐 (“to bear; to withstand”)
=2 能 tái
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 台 (“name of a Chinese constellation”)
  2. alternative form of 台 (“name of a Chinese constellation”)
=2 能 tài
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 態 /态 (tài, “bearing; apparition; form; shape; status; position”)
  2. alternative form of 態 /态 (tài, “bearing; apparition; form; shape; status; position”)
=2 能 nái
  1. (obsolete) mythical three-legged soft-shelled turtle
  2. mythical three-legged soft-shelled turtle
=2 能 tāi
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)
  2. only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)
=2 能 xióng
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 熊 (xióng, “bear”)
  2. alternative form of 熊 (xióng, “bear”)
3 補 bǔ
  1. to repair
  2. to patch
  3. to mend
  4. to make up for
  5. to fill (a vacancy)
  6. to supplement
4 拙 zhuō
  1. awkward
  2. clumsy
  3. dull
  4. inelegant
  5. (polite) my
  6. Taiwan pr. zhuó