无用功 (mó) — useless work; wasted effort
Definition
A fixed phrase meaning work or effort that produces no result. Unlike 白费 (wasted, in vain) which describes a single act, 无用功 emphasizes effort that is futile from the start.
noun
useless workwasted effort
Examples
- 无用功，。Tā zuò le hěn duō mó, zuì hòu hái shì shī bài le.He did a lot of useless work, and in the end he still failed.
- 无用功。Bié zài zhè yàng de xiǎo shì shàng làng fèi mó le.Don't waste your effort on such trivial matters.
- 无用功，。Zhè cì shí yàn wán quán shì mó, méi yǒu rèn hé xīn fā xiàn.This experiment was entirely wasted effort, with no new discoveries.
Appears in
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