擅长 shàncháng to be good at
to be good at; to be expert in
How to remember 擅长: 擅 to be good at + 长 long = to be good at.
Characters
How it is used
- To be good at / excel in - 他擅长唱歌 (tā shàncháng chànggē) he's good at singing; 擅长交际 skilled at socializing.
- Followed directly by the skill/activity. More formal/emphatic than 会 (huì, can) - 擅长 means genuinely strong at it, a forte.
- Distinguish from 善于 (shànyú, adept at, more literary and often abstract). 不擅长 = not one's strong suit.
Example sentences
- 我不擅长游泳。 Wǒ bú shàncháng yóuyǒng.I can't swim well.
- 他不擅长开车。 Tā bú shàncháng kāichē.He is not a good driver.
- 我不擅长做饭。 Wǒ bú shàncháng zuòfàn.I'm not good at cooking.