fai3 zeon6 sam1 si1費盡心思费尽心思

Jyutpingfai3 zeon6 sam1 si1

Yalefai jeuhn sām sī

動詞

Definition

To exhaust all mental efforts, racking one's brains to accomplish something.

colloquialdaily actionsemotion

How it's used

This idiom carries a sense of dedication and thoroughness, often implying that the outcome is worth the struggle. It is frequently used to describe someone going above and beyond to plan a surprise, prepare a gift, or solve a difficult problem. While it can be used positively, it can also imply that the effort spent was perhaps excessive or unnecessary depending on the context.

Examples

keoi5佢wai6為zo2咗tam3氹nei5你hoi1開sam1心，zan1真hai6係fai3費zeon6盡sam1心si1思aa4呀。

He really exhausted all his efforts just to make you happy.

nei5你sai2使m4唔sai2使fai3費zeon6盡sam1心si1思heoi3去nam2諗ni1呢di1啲siu2小si6事le1呢？

Do you really need to rack your brains over such trivial matters?

Common phrases

fai3費zeon6盡sam1心si1思heoi3去zeon2準bei6備

to exhaust all efforts to prepare

fai3費zeon6盡sam1心si1思heoi3去on1安paai4排

to exhaust all efforts to arrange

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse this with 絞盡腦汁, which specifically focuses on the mental strain of trying to think of an idea or solution, whereas 費盡心思 covers a broader range of effort, including planning and preparation.