ho4 fu2何苦
Jyutpingho4 fu2
Yalehòh fú
Definition
Why bother; not worth the trouble of making oneself suffer.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the futility of an action that leads to unnecessary suffering or emotional distress. It carries a stronger sense of pity or frustration compared to the more neutral tone of 何必. It is frequently used at the end of a sentence as a rhetorical tag to emphasize that the effort is not worth the pain.
Examples
You know he won't appreciate it, why bother making yourself suffer?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use it interchangeably with 何必, but 何苦 specifically implies that the subject is undergoing hardship or pain, whereas 何必 is broader and can refer to any unnecessary action without the implication of suffering.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
