📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a situation where a great deal of effort is expended but the payoff is minimal. It indicates an inefficient or counterproductive approach to a task. The phrase serves as a caution against working hard without working smart.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces back to the Mencius (《孟子·公孙丑上》), where the philosopher Mencius observes that by doing half the work of the ancients, one can achieve twice the results—a notion of efficiency later crystallized in the positive idiom 事半功倍. The expression 力倍功半 inverts this ideal, describing the undesirable opposite: expending double the effort yet reaping only half the reward. It has been used in Chinese literature and discourse to criticize wasteful, poorly conceived methods.
💡 Example Usage
如果不讲究方法，一味蛮干，往往是力倍功半，白白浪费了时间和精力。
If you ignore proper methods and just work blindly, the result is often doubled effort for half the outcome, wasting time and energy for nothing.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 力倍功半
- Pinyin: lì bèi gōng bàn
- Literal Translation: effort doubled, result halved
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4