fai3 zeon6 sam1 si1費盡心思费尽心思
Jyutpingfai3 zeon6 sam1 si1
Yalefai jeuhn sām sī
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
He really exhausted all his efforts just to make you happy.
Related words
Common phrases
to exhaust all efforts to prepare
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.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
