[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
腕をみがく
“to polish one’s arms”
(to work at mastering one’s craft, to improve and cultivate one’s skill)
Ude o migaku is most often used in advice to the young, warning them constantly to improve their skills. In Japan discipline and training are considered essential to success in any field.
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/formal/male)
A: Wakai uchi ni isshokenmei ude o migaite okanai to shoorai komarimasu yo.
B: Isshoukenmei yatteru n desu kedo, nakanaka omou yooni dekinakute.
A: 若いうちに
B: 一生懸命やってるんですけど、なかなか思うようにできなくて。
A: You’ll be in trouble later on if you don’t work at mastering your craft while you are young.
B: I’m doing my best, but I don’t seem to be able to achieve what I want.
Japanese Idioms
