工夫

• Pinyin: gōng fu
• Hanzi breakdown: 工 = pictograph of a tool; 夫 = 大 (big) + 一 (one) — a grown man, implying labour

Meaning

Time; effort; skill acquired through practice. Refers to the time spent on something or the skill developed through it.

Has two main uses: (1) time or duration, often in the phrase 有工夫 (have time) or 花工夫 (spend time/effort); (2) skill or mastery gained through practice. Note that 工夫 and 功夫 overlap in meaning but 功夫 more commonly refers to martial arts skill, while 工夫 emphasises time and effort.

Examples

1. 只要你花工夫练习，一定能学会。 As long as you put in the effort to practise, you can definitely learn it.
2. 他在书法上下了很多工夫。 He has put a lot of effort into calligraphy.
3. 我现在没有工夫跟你聊天。 I don't have time to chat with you right now.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, study, effort

Tone: encouraging

Do Say

• 学好中文需要花很多工夫。(Learning Chinese well requires a lot of time and effort.)
• 你有工夫的话，帮我看看这个。(If you have time, help me take a look at this.)

Don't Say

• 他的工夫很高，能打败所有人。(When referring to martial arts skill, use 功夫 instead of 工夫. Say 他的功夫很高.)

Origin & History

Compound of 工 (work/labour) and 夫 (man/husband). Originally referred to a labourer's effort, later extended to mean the time and skill invested in any endeavour.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal