费力

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fèilì: 费力 - Strenuous, Laborious, To exert great effort

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: feili, fèilì, 费力, strenuous Chinese, laborious Chinese, what does feili mean, effortful in Chinese, to put in effort Chinese, Chinese word for difficult task, Chinese word for tiring, 费力 vs 难, 费力 vs 努力.
  • Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 费力 (fèilì), which means “strenuous” or “laborious.” This page breaks down how to use `费力` to describe tasks that require a great deal of physical or mental effort. Discover its cultural nuances, see practical examples, and understand the key differences between `费力`, `难 (nán - difficult)`, and `努力 (nǔlì - to work hard)` to avoid common learner mistakes.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): fèilì
  • Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
  • HSK Level: HSK 4
  • Concise Definition: To require a lot of effort; strenuous, laborious, effortful.
  • In a Nutshell: `费力` describes something that “costs effort.” Think of it as a transaction: you are spending a large amount of your energy (力) to get something done. Whether it's moving a heavy sofa or trying to explain a complex idea to a stubborn person, if the task drains your strength, it's `费力`. It focuses on the high consumption of energy, not necessarily the complexity of the task itself.

Character Breakdown

  • 费 (fèi): This character means “to spend,” “to cost,” or “fee/expense.” It's the same character used in words like `学费 (xué fèi)` - tuition fee, or `浪费 (làngfèi)` - to waste. It always implies the consumption of a resource (money, time, or in this case, energy).
  • 力 (lì): This character means “strength,” “power,” or “effort.” The character is a pictogram of a plow, a tool that requires significant strength to use in farming. It represents physical and mental power.
  • Combined Meaning: The characters literally combine to mean “to spend/cost strength.” This creates a very direct and intuitive meaning: an activity that is `费力` is one that costs you a lot of your personal energy.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • In Chinese culture, there's a strong sense of pragmatism. Calling a task `费力` is often a practical assessment of its efficiency. It raises the question: “Is the result worth the energy spent?” While hard work (`努力 nǔlì`) is highly valued, doing something in a `费力` way can sometimes imply a lack of skill, a better tool, or a smarter method.
  • This contrasts slightly with the Western “no pain, no gain” ethos, where describing a task as strenuous can be a pure badge of honor. In Chinese, while not strictly negative, `费力` often carries a neutral-to-slightly-negative connotation of struggle or inefficiency. You might say, “这个方法太费力了，我们换一个吧” (This method is too laborious, let's try another one). The goal is often to find a more `省力 (shěnglì)` - “effort-saving” - solution.
  • This is best illustrated by the common idiom `吃力不讨好 (chī lì bù tǎo hǎo)`, which means “to undertake a strenuous task but get no appreciation or good results.” This reflects a cultural wariness of wasted effort.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Describing Physical Tasks: This is the most common usage. It's used for any activity that requires a lot of physical strength.
    • “搬这个沙发真费力。” (Bān zhège shāfā zhēn fèilì.) - “Moving this sofa is really strenuous.”
  • Describing Mental or Communicative Tasks: `费力` is also frequently used for mentally draining activities, especially communication.
    • “跟他解释这个问题很费力，他就是不明白。” (Gēn tā jiěshì zhège wèntí hěn fèilì, tā jiùshì bù míngbái.) - “Explaining this problem to him is very draining; he just doesn't get it.”
  • As a Verb: `费力` can act as a verb meaning “to expend effort.”
    • “我费了半天力才把电脑修好。” (Wǒ fèile bàntiān lì cái bǎ diànnǎo xiūhǎo.) - “I spent a great deal of effort to finally fix the computer.” (Note the structure `费了…力`).

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 爬这座山很费力，但我喜欢挑战。
    • Pinyin: Pá zhè zuò shān hěn fèilì, dàn wǒ xǐhuān tiǎozhàn.
    • English: Climbing this mountain is very strenuous, but I like a challenge.
    • Analysis: A classic example of `费力` describing a physically demanding activity. The context is neutral-to-positive because the speaker enjoys the challenge.
  • Example 2:
    • 这个旧软件用起来太费力了，我们应该升级。
    • Pinyin: Zhège jiù ruǎnjiàn yòng qǐlái tài fèilì le, wǒmen yīnggāi shēngjí.
    • English: This old software is too laborious to use; we should upgrade.
    • Analysis: Here, `费力` has a negative connotation, implying the software is inefficient and frustrating to use.
  • Example 3:
    • 我费了很大力气才说服他。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ fèile hěn dà lìqi cái shuōfú tā.
    • English: I expended a great deal of effort to persuade him.
    • Analysis: This shows the verb pattern `费 + 力(气)`. `力气 (lìqi)` is often used with `费` to mean “physical/mental strength.” This sentence emphasizes the difficulty of the persuasion.
  • Example 4:
    • 跟一个听不懂你话的人沟通真是费力。
    • Pinyin: Gēn yíge tīngbudǒng nǐ huà de rén gōutōng zhēnshi fèilì.
    • English: Communicating with someone who doesn't understand you is really draining.
    • Analysis: This highlights the mental and emotional exhaustion associated with a `费力` task.
  • Example 5:
    • 不要费力去做没意义的事。
    • Pinyin: Búyào fèilì qù zuò méi yìyì de shì.
    • English: Don't waste your effort doing meaningless things.
    • Analysis: Here, `费力` is a verb, “to expend effort.” The sentence is a piece of advice against inefficient or pointless work.
  • Example 6:
    • 他年纪大了，走上楼有点费力。
    • Pinyin: Tā niánjì dà le, zǒu shàng lóu yǒudiǎn fèilì.
    • English: He's older now, so going upstairs is a bit strenuous for him.
    • Analysis: `有点 (yǒudiǎn)` softens the meaning, making it “a bit strenuous.” This is a very common and natural-sounding combination.
  • Example 7:
    • 拧开这个瓶盖很费力。
    • Pinyin: Nǐngkāi zhège píng gài hěn fèilì.
    • English: Unscrewing this bottle cap is very difficult (requires a lot of force).
    • Analysis: A perfect example of a simple task that isn't complex (`难`) but is `费力` because it requires significant physical strength.
  • Example 8:
    • 这项工作费力不讨好，没人愿意做。
    • Pinyin: Zhè xiàng gōngzuò fèilì bù tǎohǎo, méi rén yuànyì zuò.
    • English: This job is strenuous and thankless; no one is willing to do it.
    • Analysis: Uses the related idiom `费力不讨好` (a variant of `吃力不讨好`) to describe undesirable work.
  • Example 9:
    • 为了看懂这本哲学书，我费了不少脑筋。
    • Pinyin: Wèile kàn dǒng zhè běn zhéxué shū, wǒ fèile bùshǎo nǎojīn.
    • English: In order to understand this philosophy book, I had to wrack my brains.
    • Analysis: This example uses a related structure, `费脑筋 (fèi nǎojīn)`, which specifically means “to use a lot of mental effort.” It's a synonym for mentally `费力`.
  • Example 10:
    • 有了这台机器，收割庄稼就没那么费力了。
    • Pinyin: Yǒule zhè tái jīqì, shōugē zhuāngjia jiù méi nàme fèilì le.
    • English: With this machine, harvesting the crops isn't so laborious anymore.
    • Analysis: This shows how technology or a better method can make a task less `费力`. It highlights the word's connection to efficiency.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • `费力 (fèilì)` vs. `难 (nán)` - The Biggest Pitfall:
    • `难 (nán)` means “difficult” or “hard” and refers to complexity, skill, or the probability of success. A math problem is `难`. Passing an exam is `难`.
    • `费力 (fèilì)` means “strenuous” or “laborious” and refers to the amount of energy (physical or mental) consumed.
    • Key Distinction: A task can be `费力` but not `难`. Example: Moving a heavy rock is 费力, but it's not conceptually 难.
    • Key Distinction: A task can be `难` but not `费力` (for a specific person). Example: For a math genius, solving a complex equation is 难, but it might not be 费力 for them.
    • Incorrect Usage: “这个汉字很费力写。” (Incorrect)
    • Correct Usage: “这个汉字很难写。” (Correct, because it's about the complexity of the strokes). If writing it makes your hand tired, you could say: “写这么多字，手很酸，真费力。” (Writing so many characters, my hand is sore, it's really strenuous).
  • `费力 (fèilì)` vs. `努力 (nǔlì)`:
    • `努力 (nǔlì)` is a verb (“to strive”) or adjective (“hardworking”). It describes a person's positive attitude and action. It's about putting in effort.
    • `费力 (fèilì)` is an adjective that describes a task's quality of requiring effort.
    • Example: 他很努力地学习。 (Tā hěn nǔlì de xuéxí.) - He studies very hard. (`努力` describes him).
    • Example: 学习这门课很费力。 (Xuéxí zhè mén kè hěn fèilì.) - Studying this subject is very strenuous. (`费力` describes the course).

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 努力 (nǔlì) - To make an effort; hardworking. Describes the positive action of a person, whereas `费力` describes the nature of a task.
  • 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) - Hard; toilsome; exhausting. Similar to `费力` but often carries a stronger sense of hardship and is used to express gratitude (e.g., “你辛苦了!” - “You've worked hard!”).
  • 吃力 (chīlì) - Strenuous; entails a struggle. A very close synonym for `费力` and often interchangeable. `吃力` can sometimes more strongly imply that one is struggling to keep up.
  • 省力 (shěnglì) - To save effort; labor-saving. The direct antonym of `费力`.
  • 费心 (fèixīn) - To require mental effort or worry; “to cost the heart/mind.” Used for tasks that are troublesome or require a lot of care and thought.
  • 费时 (fèishí) - Time-consuming; “to cost time.” Often used alongside `费力` (e.g., `费时又费力` - time-consuming and laborious).
  • 难 (nán) - Difficult; hard. Refers to the complexity or intrinsic difficulty of a task, not the effort it consumes.
  • 吃力不讨好 (chī lì bù tǎo hǎo) - An idiom meaning to undertake a strenuous task for no reward or appreciation. A perfect expression of the negative potential of a `费力` situation.