---
title: "Chinese Idioms about Hard Work: 20 Chengyu With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "20 Chinese idioms (chengyu) about hard work, like 坚持不懈 (to persevere unremittingly) and 事半功倍 (to get twice the result with half the effort), each with pinyin, meaning and sound. Keep them in one press or print them as flashcards."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-idioms/hard-work"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese idioms](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-idioms) · 20 idioms

# Chinese idioms about hard work

Chengyu whose meaning is about hard work, each with pinyin, meaning and sound.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%9D%9A%E6%8C%81%E4%B8%8D%E6%87%88%20%E4%BA%8B%E5%8D%8A%E5%8A%9F%E5%80%8D%20%E5%AD%9C%E5%AD%9C%E4%B8%8D%E5%80%A6%20%E8%89%B0%E8%8B%A6%E5%A5%8B%E6%96%97%20%E4%B8%8D%E9%81%97%E4%BD%99%E5%8A%9B%20%E5%90%83%E8%8B%A6%E8%80%90%E5%8A%B3%20%E7%94%98%E4%B9%8B%E5%A6%82%E9%A5%B4%20%E7%BE%A4%E7%AD%96%E7%BE%A4%E5%8A%9B%20%E5%89%8D%E5%8A%9F%E5%B0%BD%E5%BC%83%20%E5%8D%A7%E8%96%AA%E5%B0%9D%E8%83%86%20%E8%89%B0%E9%9A%BE%E5%9B%B0%E8%8B%A6%20%E4%BA%8B%E5%80%8D%E5%8A%9F%E5%8D%8A%20%E9%9E%A0%E8%BA%AC%E5%B0%BD%E7%98%81%20%E7%AD%9A%E8%B7%AF%E8%93%9D%E7%BC%95%20%E5%BF%8D%E8%BE%B1%E8%B4%9F%E9%87%8D%20%E5%AD%9C%E5%AD%9C%E4%BB%A5%E6%B1%82%20%E8%89%B0%E8%8B%A6%E5%88%9B%E4%B8%9A%20%E8%89%B0%E8%8B%A6%E6%9C%B4%E7%B4%A0%20%E5%8B%87%E7%8C%9B%E7%B2%BE%E8%BF%9B%20%E6%89%A7%E8%BF%B7%E4%B8%8D%E6%82%9F)

- [坚持不懈jiānchí-bùxièto persevere unremittingly](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%9D%9A%E6%8C%81%E4%B8%8D%E6%87%88)
- [事半功倍shìbàn-gōngbèito get twice the result with half the effort](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%8B%E5%8D%8A%E5%8A%9F%E5%80%8D)
- [孜孜不倦zīzī-bùjuàndiligent and tireless](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%9C%E5%AD%9C%E4%B8%8D%E5%80%A6)
- [艰苦奋斗jiānkǔ-fèndòuto work hard and struggle through hardship](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%89%B0%E8%8B%A6%E5%A5%8B%E6%96%97)
- [不遗余力bùyí-yúlìto spare no effort](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%B8%8D%E9%81%97%E4%BD%99%E5%8A%9B)
- [吃苦耐劳chīkǔ-nàiláohardworking and able to endure hardship](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%83%E8%8B%A6%E8%80%90%E5%8A%B3)
- [甘之如饴gānzhī-rúyíto endure hardship gladly](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%94%98%E4%B9%8B%E5%A6%82%E9%A5%B4)
- [群策群力qúncè-qúnlìto pool wisdom and efforts](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%BE%A4%E7%AD%96%E7%BE%A4%E5%8A%9B)
- [前功尽弃qiángōng-jìnqìall previous efforts wasted](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%89%8D%E5%8A%9F%E5%B0%BD%E5%BC%83)
- [卧薪尝胆wòxīn-chángdǎnto endure hardship to prepare for revenge](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8D%A7%E8%96%AA%E5%B0%9D%E8%83%86)
- [艰难困苦jiānnán-kùnkǔhardship and difficulty](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%89%B0%E9%9A%BE%E5%9B%B0%E8%8B%A6)
- [事倍功半shìbèi-gōngbàntwice the effort for half the result](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E4%BA%8B%E5%80%8D%E5%8A%9F%E5%8D%8A)
- [鞠躬尽瘁jūgōng-jìncuìto work tirelessly to the end](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%9E%A0%E8%BA%AC%E5%B0%BD%E7%98%81)
- [筚路蓝缕bìlù-lánlǚto endure great hardship in pioneering work](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%AD%9A%E8%B7%AF%E8%93%9D%E7%BC%95)
- [忍辱负重rěnrǔ-fùzhòngto endure humiliation for an important mission](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%BF%8D%E8%BE%B1%E8%B4%9F%E9%87%8D)
- [孜孜以求zīzī-yǐqiúto seek diligently](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%AD%9C%E5%AD%9C%E4%BB%A5%E6%B1%82)
- [艰苦创业jiānkǔ-chuàngyèto build up an enterprise through arduous effort](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%89%B0%E8%8B%A6%E5%88%9B%E4%B8%9A)
- [艰苦朴素jiānkǔ-pǔsùhardworking and frugal](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E8%89%B0%E8%8B%A6%E6%9C%B4%E7%B4%A0)
- [勇猛精进yǒngměng-jīngjìnto advance boldly and diligently](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8B%87%E7%8C%9B%E7%B2%BE%E8%BF%9B)
- [执迷不悟zhímí-bùwùto persist in one's error](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%89%A7%E8%BF%B7%E4%B8%8D%E6%82%9F)

## What is a Chinese idiom about hard work?

坚持不懈 (jiānchí-bùxiè): to persevere unremittingly. It is the most common of the 20 on this page.

## What is a chengyu?

A set phrase, nearly always four characters, that packs a story or an image into a few words: 画蛇添足, “drawing legs on a snake”, means spoiling something by overdoing it. Chinese speakers use them in writing, speeches and everyday talk.

## More free tools

- [Chengyu quiz](https://mandarinthewild.com/chengyu-quiz)
- [Every chengyu](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/chengyu)
- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

Chengyu from the Xinhua idiom list; meanings from our own dictionary. Open one for its characters and real sentences.