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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to work hard' or 'hardship' with 辛苦 (xīnkǔ)

    Actions & Events
    Description & Modification

    Structure

    Subject + 辛苦 / 辛苦 + 的 + Noun

    Explanation

    The word 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) means "to work hard," "hardship," or "toilsome." It can function as both a verb and an adjective, describing laborious effort or difficult conditions. For example, 皆辛苦 means "all involves hard work," and 你辛苦了 is a common way to acknowledge someone's effort.

    Examples

    • 这几天加班太辛苦了，好好休息一下吧。

      Zhè jǐ tiān jiābān tài xīnkǔ le, hǎohǎo xiūxi yīxià ba.

      You've been working overtime so hard these past few days — get some good rest.

    • 种地是非常辛苦的工作。

      Zhòngdì shì fēicháng xīnkǔ de gōngzuò.

      Farming is very hard work.

    • 谢谢你帮忙搬家，你辛苦了！

      Xièxie nǐ bāngmáng bānjiā, nǐ xīnkǔ le!

      Thank you for helping me move — you've worked so hard!

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing 'to work hard' or 'hardship' with 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) | Chinese Grammar