Chinese word

费劲

Pronunciation

Pinyinfèi jìn

Meaning

  • adjectivehard

Example

找工作对他来说很费劲。zhǎo gōng zuò duì tā lái shuō hěn fèi jìn

Finding a job is hard for him.

Illustration for 费劲 (hard)

More examples

这个项目做起来很费劲。zhè ge xiàng mù zuò qǐ lái hěn fèi jìn

This project is very hard to do.

Core concept

Getting something done feels like pushing against resistance.

Common phrases

  • 费劲得很fèi jìn de hěn

    very hard

  • 做起来费劲zuò qǐ lái fèi jìn

    hard to do

Similar words

费力fèi lì: Needing substantial force or effort for something to be done.
吃力chī lì: Taking a lot of effort and creating a strong sense of strain while being done.
麻烦má fán: Involving bothersome steps or arrangements that make something a nuisance to handle.
困难kùn nán: Not easy to accomplish because of obstacles or demanding circumstances.

Definition in Chinese

做某事需要花费较多力气、时间或精力，过程困难或麻烦，不容易完成。zuò mǒu shì xū yào huā fèi jiào duō lì qì shí jiān huò jīng lì guò chéng kùn nán huò má fán bù róng yì wán chéng

Word origin

The compound 费 (fèi, "spend") + 劲 (jìn, "strength") presents difficulty as strength being used up, making the word useful for tasks that demand sustained effort.

Usage tips

  • English hard can describe difficulty in general, while this word more strongly highlights the work and trouble involved in getting something done.

Other meanings

  • struggleverb
  • require effortverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 费劲儿fèi jìnrhardadjective

Word lists with this word