hak1 fu2 noi6 lou4刻苦耐勞刻苦耐劳
Jyutpinghak1 fu2 noi6 lou4
Yalehāk fú noih lòuh
Definition
Hardworking and able to endure hardships.
neutralworkdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a strong sense of moral approval and is frequently used to praise someone's work ethic or character. It is often applied to older generations who built their success through sheer persistence and physical labor. While it can describe anyone, it is most commonly heard in professional or formal contexts when evaluating an employee's dedication.
Examples
He is a very hardworking and resilient person, willing to take on any difficult job.
If you want to succeed, you must be hardworking and endure hardship; don't be afraid of the toil.
Related words
Common phrases
the spirit of hard work and endurance
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).



