san1 fu2辛苦
Jyutpingsan1 fu2
Yalesān fú
Definition
Strenuous, difficult, and demanding great effort; or to suffer physically or mentally.
- strenuous; hard; requiring great effort to cope with heavy work
- uncomfortable; suffering; in pain or distress
colloquialworkdescriptions
How it's used
Expresses not just physical exhaustion but also the sense of enduring hardship or putting in significant effort to achieve something. It is frequently used to acknowledge someone else's hard work as a polite social gesture, often paired with the particle 㗎 to soften the tone. When used to describe a situation, it implies a heavy burden or a taxing experience that requires perseverance.
Examples
You work so hard, remember to get some rest early.
I hiked all day today, it was really strenuous.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to describe something that is simply complicated or tricky, like a puzzle or a math problem. It specifically refers to the toll taken on the person, whether through physical labor, emotional distress, or a long, draining process.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
