吃苦耐劳 (chī kǔ nài láo) — to endure hardships and work hard (without complaint)

Definition

A chengyu-style verb phrase praising someone who willingly endures hardship and works tirelessly. It's a fixed expression, not a separable verb — used as a predicate or to modify a noun (吃苦耐劳的精神/品质).

verb
to endure hardships and work hard (without complaint)

Examples

  • ，吃苦耐劳。
    Tā cóng xiǎo zài nóng cūn zhǎng dà, fēi cháng chī kǔ nài láo.
    He grew up in the countryside and is very hardworking and uncomplaining.
  • 吃苦耐劳。
    Zuò zhè fèn gōng zuò xū yào chī kǔ nài láo de jīng shén.
    This job requires a spirit of enduring hardships and working hard.
  • 吃苦耐劳。
    Lǎo yí bèi rén dōu yǒu chī kǔ nài láo de pǐn zhì.
    The older generation all have the quality of bearing hardships and working hard.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

吃苦endure hardship
吃chīendure苦kǔhardship
动宾Verb + object
耐劳bear toil
耐nàiendure劳láotoil
动宾Verb + object

吃苦 (endure hardship) and 耐劳 (bear toil) together mean enduring and working hard.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
乞
乞qǐ吃chī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

吃 combines 口 (mouth) with 乞, which gives the sound; it originally wrote a word meaning to stutter.

Open 吃 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ苦kǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艸 shows grass or plants, matching the sense of bitter plants. The bottom 古 gives the sound.

Open 苦 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
寸寸cùn
Sound part声符shēngfú
而
而ér耐nài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耐 puts 而 on the left and 寸 on the right: 而 gives the sound, and 寸 gives the sense.

Open 耐 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勞; 劳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
𬡤
𬡤𬡤勞láo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 勞 uses 力 for the meaning and 𬡤 for the sound; the simplified 劳 is a later shortened shape.

Open 劳 →

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