打铁还需自身硬

打鐵還需自身硬
dǎtiěháixūzìshēnyìng

it takes a good blacksmith to forge good tools; to do a job well, one must be highly competent

Wiktionary

Entry Composition

1 打铁 dǎtiě to forge ironware
=2 还 Huán surname Huan
=2 还 hái
  1. still
  2. still in progress
  3. still more
  4. yet
  5. even more
  6. in addition
  7. fairly
  8. passably (good)
  9. as early as
  10. even
  11. also
  12. else
=2 还 huán
  1. to pay back
  2. to return
3 需 xū
  1. to require
  2. to need
  3. to want
  4. necessity
  5. need
4 自身 zìshēn
  1. itself
  2. oneself
  3. one's own
5 硬 yìng
  1. hard; stiff; solid
  2. (fig.) strong; firm
  3. resolutely; uncompromisingly
  4. laboriously; with great difficulty
  5. good (quality); able (person)
  6. (of food) filling; substantial