苦心经营 (kǔ xīn jīng yíng) — to painstakingly build up or manage (an enterprise, career, relationship, etc.) through sustained effort
Definition
Chengyu meaning to build or manage something through long, painstaking effort — emphasizes the difficulty and endurance, not just hard work. Used for enterprises, careers, or relationships developed over years.
idiom
to painstakingly build up or manage (an enterprise, career, relationship, etc.) through sustained effort
Examples
- 苦心经营，。Zhè jiā gōng sī jīng guò èr shí nián de kǔ xīn jīng yíng, zhōng yú chéng wéi háng yè lóng tóu.After twenty years of painstaking effort, this company finally became the industry leader.
- 苦心经营，。Tā kǔ xīn jīng yíng duō nián, cái bǎ yí gè xiǎo zuō fang fā zhǎn chéng dà xíng qǐ yè.He worked painstakingly for many years to develop a small workshop into a large enterprise.
- 苦心经营，。Zhè duàn hūn yīn shì liǎng rén kǔ xīn jīng yíng de jié guǒ, lái zhī bú yì.This marriage is the result of both people's painstaking efforts — it was hard-won.
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.
苦心 shows painstaking effort, and 经营 means to manage or build; together they describe sustained, careful effort in building an enterprise.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.