辛苦 (xīnkǔ) — hard; toilsome; to work hard
HSK 3 | adjective / verb | describing hard, tiring work; also used to thank someone for their effort
辛苦 (xīnkǔ)
辛苦 describes work or effort that is tiring, demanding, or difficult. It is also commonly used as a polite expression to acknowledge and appreciate someone's hard work.
Meanings
- [adjective] hard; toilsome; physically or mentally exhausting
- [verb] to work hard; to go through hardship and toil
Example Sentences
你辛苦了，快来休息一下。 Nǐ xīnkǔ le, kuài lái xiūxi yīxià. You have worked hard; come and rest for a bit.
农民的工作很辛苦，要每天在田里劳动。 Nóngmín de gōngzuò hěn xīnkǔ, yào měitiān zài tián lǐ láodòng. Farmers' work is very hard; they have to labor in the fields every day.
妈妈为了家庭辛苦了一辈子。 Māma wèile jiātíng xīnkǔ le yī bèizi. Mom worked hard for the family her whole life.
谢谢你为这个项目这么辛苦。 Xièxiè nǐ wèi zhège xiàngmù zhème xīnkǔ. Thank you for working so hard on this project.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) | you've worked hard (polite acknowledgment) |
| 非常辛苦 (fēicháng xīnkǔ) | very hard; exhausting |
| 吃辛苦 (chī xīnkǔ) | to endure hardship |
| 辛苦工作 (xīnkǔ gōngzuò) | to work hard |
Memory Hook
辛 means "bitter/painful" and 苦 also means "bitter/suffering" — when both bitterness and suffering come together in one word, that is truly 辛苦 hard labor.