📖 Meaning
Refers to the painstaking effort and meticulous care that a skilled craftsman or artist puts into their work. More broadly, it describes any endeavor undertaken with sincere, thoughtful dedication and careful planning.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in a poem by Liu Ban of the Northern Song Dynasty, written in response to Su Shi's poem about the Tang Dynasty horse painter Han Gan. Liu Ban praised the artist Li Boshi, noting that a master artisan pours his heart into capturing the essence of a distant parting, grasping the subtle and profound workings of nature. Over time, the phrase came to describe any deeply thoughtful and laborious creative effort.
💡 Example Usage
这座园林的一草一木都体现了设计者的良工苦心。
Every plant and stone in this garden reflects the designer's painstaking care and thoughtful craftsmanship.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 良工苦心
- Pinyin: liáng gōng kǔ xīn
- Literal Translation: good, artisan, bitter, heart
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4