lou4 lik6勞力劳力
Jyutpinglou4 lik6
Yalelòuh lihk
Definition
Physical strength or labor exerted when working.
colloquialworkdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the physical strain or manual energy required for a task rather than general effort or mental work. It is most commonly heard when discussing jobs that involve heavy lifting or strenuous manual labor. Unlike the more general term 努力, which refers to diligence or trying hard, 勞力 is strictly about the bodily power expended.
Examples
Working in logistics really drains your physical energy.
Why are you exerting so much physical effort?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 努力, which refers to mental or general dedication. Using 勞力 to describe studying for an exam would sound unnatural as it implies physical labor.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
