TongTong
Sign in

废寝忘食 (fèi qǐn wàng shí) — to be so absorbed in something that one neglects eating and sleeping; to work or study tirelessly

Definition

A chéngyǔ describing someone so absorbed in work or study that they skip sleep and forget to eat. Carries a positive tone (admirable dedication), unlike a plain 'workaholic'.

phrase
to be so absorbed in something that one neglects eating and sleepingto work or study tirelessly

Examples

  • ，废寝忘食。
    Tā wèi le gāo kǎo, fèi qǐn wàng shí dì xué xí le hǎo jǐ gè yuè.
    She studied tirelessly for months for the college entrance exam.
  • 废寝忘食，。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā xiě xiǎo shuō shí cháng cháng fèi qǐn wàng shí, zhí dào xiě wán cái xiū xi.
    This writer often forgets to eat and sleep while writing novels, only resting after finishing.
  • 废寝忘食，。
    Bié fèi qǐn wàng shí le, shēn tǐ zuì zhòng yào.
    Don't neglect your meals and sleep — health is the most important.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

废寝neglect sleep
废fèineglect/abolish寝qǐnsleep
动宾Verb + object
忘食forget food
忘wàngforget食shífood
动宾Verb + object

“废寝” (neglect sleep) and “忘食” (forget food) are paired to show total absorption.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 廢; 废 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎnghouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā廢fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廢 shows 广 as a house and 發 as the sound.

Open 废 →

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 寢; 寝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
爿爿pánbed
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬶
𠬶𠬶寢qǐn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寢 has a 宀 roof and a 爿 bed, with a 𠬶 broom-and-hand part that gives the sound; the simplified 寝 is a later shorthand.

Open 寝 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng忘wàng
Same sound today

忘 combines 亡, which gives the sound, with 心 (“heart”), showing the sense is about the heart or mind.

Open 忘 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jímouth
  • 皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

Open 食 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.