experience is the best teacher; experimentation and hands-on experience is more valuable than theoretizing
köken: Literally, “trying goes over studying”, or more loosely translated as “trying is better than studying”. Attested since the 19th century. It, along with its earlier form Probieren ist über Studieren (which is attested since at least 1790), likely emerged as a native and rhyming alternative to Erfahrung ist der beste Lehrmeister, which is a calque of Latin experientia est optima rerum magistra.
practice makes perfect, experience is the best teacher
köken: From the Latin maxim: exercitātiō artem parat (literally “practice provides skill”) by Tacitus. Compare German Übung macht den Meister, corresponding to the Hungarian version, literally, “practice makes the master”.