台上一分钟,台下十年功 tái shàng yī fēn zhōng , tái xià shí nián gōng

DEFINITIONS

  1. ten years of practice for one minute on the stage (idiom)

CHARACTERS

台 tái platform; unit; term of address
上 shàng top; superior, highest; go up, send up
一 yī one; a, an; alone
分 fēn divide; small unit of time etc.
钟 zhōng clock; bell
台 tái platform; unit; term of address
下 xià under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down
十 shí ten, tenth; complete; perfect
年 nián year; new-years; person's age
功 gōng achievement, merit, good result