苦功 (kǔ gōng) — hard work, painstaking effort

Definition

Refers to the hard, sustained effort put into learning a skill — nearly always used in the set phrase 下苦功 ('put in painstaking effort'). Unlike plain 努力, it emphasizes tough, grinding practice over time.

noun
hard workpainstaking effort
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Xué hǎo yì mén yǔ yán fēi xià kǔ gōng bù kě.
    You must put in hard work to master a language.
  • 苦功。
    Tā huā le sān nián kǔ gōng cái xiě chū zhè běn shū.
    He spent three years of painstaking effort to write this book.
  • 苦功，？
    Méi yǒu kǔ gōng, nǎ lái de chéng jiù?
    Without hard work, how can there be achievement?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

苦kǔhard or painful
功gōngeffort

苦, hard or painful, combines with 功, effort, to mean painstaking effort.

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
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
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →

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