每天成语
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劳苦功高

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: láo kǔ gōng gāo
  • English Translation: To have rendered outstanding service through great toil
  • Idiom Composition: 「劳」（Labor or toil）＋「苦」（Hardship or bitterness）＋「功」（Merit or achievement）＋「高」（High or great）
  • Meaning: To endure many hardships and difficulties and, as a result, achieve very significant accomplishments. It is a term of high praise that honors both the dedicated effort (the process) and the great merit (the result).

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「劳苦功高」 contains the following nuances:

  • Balance of Effort and Result: The idiom pairs 劳苦 (láo kǔ), meaning toil and hardship, with 功高 (gōng gāo), meaning high merit. It is specifically used when both elements are present; it is not used for effort that yields no results, nor for results achieved through luck or ease.
  • Expression of Deep Respect: It is a highly respectful term often reserved for those who have made long-term contributions or those who have successfully navigated a particularly grueling and difficult project.

3. Usage

「劳苦功高」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Honoring a distinguished contributor: Commonly used in speeches or ceremonies to honor veteran employees or individuals who have devoted themselves to a nation or organization.
    • Example:「王教授在教育界耕耘四十年，劳苦功高，深受学生爱戴。」
      （Professor Wang has worked in the education sector for forty years and has rendered outstanding service, earning the deep love and respect of his students.)
  • Historical or foundational evaluation: Used when looking back at the great deeds of historical figures or the founding members of an organization.
    • Example:「他是公司的创业元老，劳苦功高，理应受到大家的尊重。」
      （As a founding member of the company, he has worked hard and achieved great things, so he deserves everyone's respect.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 为了完成这项工程，工程师们日夜奋战，真是劳苦功高。
    （To complete this project, the engineers fought day and night; they truly rendered outstanding service.）
  2. 虽然他劳苦功高，但他从不居功自傲。
    （Although he has achieved great things through hard work, he never boasts about his own merits.）
  3. 我们要铭记那些为国家独立而劳苦功高的英雄们。
    （We must remember those heroes who toiled and achieved great things for the independence of the nation.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: From the Records of the Grand Historian (史记), specifically the 'Annals of Xiang Yu' (项羽本纪). It appears during the famous 'Feast at Hong Gate' (鸿门宴) episode. The general Fan Kuai (樊噲) argued to Xiang Yu (项羽) that Liu Bang (刘邦) had 劳苦功高 (láo kǔ gōng gāo) and that killing him would be unjust.
  • Nuance: Unlike a simple word for 'success,' this idiom carries the weight of 'blood, sweat, and tears.' It is often used in contexts where a person's struggle is as important as their victory.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

劳苦功高 (láo kǔ gōng gāo) is an idiom used to praise individuals who have achieved great success through immense hardship. Originating from the Records of the Grand Historian (史记), it expresses deep respect for those who did not just succeed, but sacrificed and persevered. It is frequently used in professional settings, such as retirement ceremonies or award presentations, to honor long-term dedication.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

láo kǔ gōng gāo
劳苦功高
Great Merit from Hard Work
wǒ men我们zài在píng jià评价yí gè一个rén人de的shí hòu时候，wǎng wǎng往往róng yì容易zhǐ只dīng盯zhe着jié guǒ结果kàn看。

When we evaluate a person, we often tend to focus only on the results.

bǐ rú比如，shuí谁yíng dé赢得le了bǐ sài比赛，shuí谁wán chéng完成le了xiàng mù项目，huò zhě或者shuí谁zhàn站zài在le了lǐng jiǎng tái领奖台shàng上。

For example, who won the race, who completed the project, or who stood on the podium.

dàn shì但是，zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语，tā它de的shì jiǎo视角hěn很tè bié特别。

However, there is an idiom in Chinese with a very special perspective.

tā它bù jǐn不仅kàn dào看到le了jié guǒ结果de的guāng róng光荣，hái还kàn dào看到le了guò chéng过程zhōng中de的jiān nán艰难。

It sees not only the glory of the result but also the hardships of the process.

zhè ge这个cí词，jiào叫“láo kǔ gōng gāo劳苦功高”。

This term is 劳苦功高.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语de的jié gòu结构fēi cháng非常gōng zhěng工整，fēn chéng分成le了liǎng bàn两半。

The structure of this idiom is very neat, divided into two halves.

“láo kǔ劳苦”，shuō说de的shì是fù chū付出——yì wèi zhe意味着bù jǐn不仅shì是máng lù忙碌，hái还chī吃le了hěn很duō多kǔ苦，shòu受le了hěn很duō多lèi累；ér而“gōng gāo功高”，shuō说de的shì是jié guǒ结果——yì wèi zhe意味着gōng láo功劳hěn很dà大，chéng jiù成就hěn很gāo高。

劳苦 refers to the effort—meaning not just being busy, but also enduring much hardship and exhaustion; while 功高 refers to the result—meaning great merit and high achievement.

bǎ把zhè这liǎng bù fèn两部分fàng放zài在yì qǐ一起，cái才shì是zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zhēn zhèng真正de的hán yì含义。

Putting these two parts together is the true meaning of this idiom.

shì xiǎng试想yī xià一下，rú guǒ如果yí gè一个rén人hěn很xīn kǔ辛苦，dàn但zuì hòu最后shī bài失败le了，wǒ men我们huì会jué de觉得wǎn xī惋惜；rú guǒ如果yí gè一个rén人yùn qì运气hěn很hǎo好，qīng qīng sōng sōng轻轻松松jiù就chéng gōng成功le了，wǒ men我们huì会jué de觉得xiàn mù羡慕。

Imagine if someone worked very hard but failed in the end, we would feel regret; if someone was lucky and succeeded easily, we would feel envious.

dàn但zhè这liǎng zhǒng两种qíng kuàng情况，dōu都bú shì不是“láo kǔ gōng gāo劳苦功高”。

But neither of these cases is 劳苦功高.

“láo kǔ gōng gāo劳苦功高”zhè ge这个cí词de的fèn liàng分量shì是hěn很zhòng重de的。

The weight of the term 劳苦功高 is very heavy.

tā它zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容nà xiē那些——fù chū付出le了jù dà巨大de的dài jià代价，cái才huàn lái换来le了jù dà巨大chéng gōng成功de的rén人。

It is specifically used to describe those who have paid a huge price to achieve great success.

zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常bú huì不会yòng用zhè ge这个cí词lái来xíng róng形容zì jǐ自己，nà那xiǎn de显得tài太jiāo ào骄傲le了。

In daily life, we usually don't use this term to describe ourselves, as that would seem too proud.

wǒ men我们duō bàn多半shì是yòng用tā它lái来biǎo dá表达duì对bié rén别人de的jìng yì敬意。

We mostly use it to express respect for others.

bǐ rú比如，yī wèi一位zài在yí gè一个gǎng wèi岗位shàng上jiān chí坚持le了sān shí nián三十年de的lǎo老yuán gōng员工yào要tuì xiū退休le了；huò zhě或者shì是yī wèi一位chuàng yè zhě创业者，dài带zhe着tuán duì团队cóng从zuì最kùn nán困难de的rì zi日子áo熬dào到le了jīn tiān今天de的huī huáng辉煌。

For example, an old employee who has stayed in one position for thirty years is retiring; or an entrepreneur who led a team through the most difficult days to today's brilliance.

zhè ge这个shí hòu时候，pǔ tōng普通de的kuā jiǎng夸奖hǎo xiàng好像dōu都tài太qīng轻le了。

At such times, ordinary praise seems too light.

zhǐ yǒu只有yòng用“láo kǔ gōng gāo劳苦功高”，cái néng才能shuō míng说明dà jiā大家bù jǐn不仅kàn dào看到le了xiàn zài现在de的xiān huā鲜花hé和zhǎng shēng掌声，yě也jì de记得nà xiē那些méi没rén人kàn jiàn看见de的hàn shuǐ汗水。

Only by using 劳苦功高 can we show that everyone sees not only the current flowers and applause but also remembers the sweat that no one saw.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到rén men人们yòng用“láo kǔ gōng gāo劳苦功高”qù去xíng róng形容yí gè一个rén人shí时，zhè这bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是zài在kěn dìng肯定tā他de的néng lì能力，gèng shì更是zài在gào sù告诉dà jiā大家：zhè这fèn份chéng gōng成功bèi hòu背后，yǒu zhe有着bù wéi rén zhī不为人知de的zhòng liàng重量。

Therefore, when you hear people use 劳苦功高 to describe someone, it is not just affirming their ability, but also telling everyone: behind this success, there is a weight unknown to others.

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