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習慣成自然

简习惯成自然 · 繁習慣成自然

Mandarin · pinyin xí guàn chéng zì rán

(saying) habit becomes second nature; to do something as if it were perfectly natural because one is accustomed to it

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Characters in this entry

習: xí · practice; flapping wings
慣: Look up this written character
成: chéng · completed, finished, fixed
自: zì · self, private, personal; from; Kangxi radical 132
然: rán · yes, certainly; pledge, promise
习: xí · practice; flapping wings
惯: guàn · habit, custom; habitually, usual

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–4–2–4–2 · xi2 guan4 cheng2 zi4 ran2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

習慣成自然 · find source passages ↗ · 习惯成自然 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zaap6 gwaan3 sing4 zi6 jin4

Cantonese word readings for 習慣成自然. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

proverb

When you make it a habit, it will become second nature.

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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