📖 Meaning
Being able to endure hardship and withstand heavy toil. It describes someone who works diligently and can bear the strain of demanding labor without complaint. The phrase emphasizes both hard work and the resilience to sustain it over time.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a modern descriptive compound formed from common classical Chinese vocabulary rather than stemming from a single literary source. The character 刻苦 conveys the idea of enduring bitterness through diligent effort, while 耐劳 means being able to withstand physical labor. Together they describe a virtue of industriousness and stamina long valued in Chinese work culture. It is frequently used in contemporary contexts to praise workers, students, and athletes.
💡 Example Usage
他从小刻苦耐劳，终于在事业上取得了成功。
From a young age he endured hardship and worked diligently, eventually achieving success in his career.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 刻苦耐劳
- Pinyin: kè kǔ nài láo
- Literal Translation: carve, bitter, endure, labor
- Category: Perseverance
- Characters: 4