操劳 (cāo láo) — to work hard (for a long period, often with physical or mental effort); to take care of (something demanding careful attention)
Definition
操劳 emphasizes sustained effort over a long period, often for others' sake, and carries a caring tone — heavier than 劳动 (neutral 'labor') and closer to 操心 in its sense of 'taking trouble for someone.'
verb
to work hard (for a long period, often with physical or mental effort)to take care of (something demanding careful attention)
Examples
- 操劳。Mǔ qīn wèi le wǒ men cāo láo le yí bèi zi.My mother worked hard for us all her life.
- 操劳。Zhè jiàn shì hái dé qǐng nín duō cāo láo.I still need to ask you to take care of this matter.
- 操劳，。Nǐ zuì jìn tài cāo láo le, gāi xiū xi yí xià.You've been working too hard lately; you should take a break.
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