没日没夜

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: méi rì méi yè
• English Translation: Day and night (without rest); round the clock
• Idiom Composition: 「没」（Without; not having）＋「日」（Day; daytime）＋「没」（Without; not having）＋「夜」（Night）
• Meaning: To be so immersed in an activity that one loses the distinction between day and night. It describes working, studying, or playing excessively without taking a break or sleeping.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「没日没夜」 contains the following nuances:

• The Disappearance of Time Boundaries: Literally meaning 'no day and no night,' it refers to a state where the passage of time is ignored or there is no leisure to notice it.
• Excessive Persistence: It implies more than just 'long hours'; it suggests sacrificing necessary rest, often carrying a nuance of desperation, obsession, or an unsustainable pace.

3. Usage

「没日没夜」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Intense work or study: Commonly used for high-pressure situations like project deadlines or exam preparation. It can either praise diligence or express concern about overworking.
  • Example:「为了赶项目进度，整个团队已经没日没夜地工作了一个星期。」
    （To meet the project deadline, the whole team has been working day and night for a week.）
• Indulgence in hobbies or entertainment: Used to criticize or describe someone who is so obsessed with games, gambling, or other hobbies that their daily rhythm is completely disrupted.
  • Example:「放假回家后，他总是没日没夜地打游戏，完全不顾身体。」
    （Since returning home for the holidays, he has been playing games round the clock, completely neglecting his health.）

Additional Examples:

1. 那段时间他没日没夜地复习，终于考上了理想的大学。
   （During that period, he studied day and night and finally got into his dream university.）
2. 照顾新生儿真是件辛苦事，父母往往得没日没夜地围着孩子转。
   （Taking care of a newborn is hard work; parents often have to attend to the baby around the clock.）
3. 外面雨下得没日没夜的，真让人心烦。
   （It has been raining non-stop, day and night, which is really frustrating.）
4. 这种没日没夜的生活方式迟早会把身体搞垮的。
   （This day-and-night lifestyle will ruin your health sooner or later.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Colloquial Usage: 没日没夜 (méi rì méi yè) is a very informal expression. In formal writing or academic contexts, the idiom 夜以继日 (yè yǐ jì rì), which means 'to carry on through the night into the day,' is generally preferred.
• Tone and Nuance: While it can be used in a positive context to show dedication, it often carries a sense of 'going to extremes.' It highlights a level of intensity that might be considered abnormal or even unhealthy, unlike more purely complimentary terms for hard work.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 夜以继日 (yè yǐ jì rì): To continue a task from the night into the next day; used to praise great diligence and hard work.link
  • 通宵达旦 (tōng xiāo dá dàn): From the whole night until dawn; staying up all night to do something.
  • 废寝忘食 (fèi qǐn wàng shí): To neglect sleep and forget to eat due to being engrossed in work or study.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 劳逸结合 (láo yì jié hé): To strike a proper balance between work and rest; work-life balance.
  • 悠闲自在 (yōu xián zì zài): To be leisurely and carefree; living a relaxed life without pressure.
  • 无所事事 (wú suǒ shì shì): To have nothing to do or to be idle.link
  • 得过且过 (dé guò qiě guò): To muddle through, taking one day at a time without much thought for the future.link

6. Summary

没日没夜 (méi rì méi yè) is a colloquial idiom used to describe someone so engrossed in a task that they ignore the passage of time. Whether it is used to praise hard work or criticize excessive indulgence, it emphasizes a state of total immersion that often borders on the extreme or unhealthy.