吃力

• Pinyin: chī lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 吃 (consume, expend) + 力 (strength, effort)

Meaning

Strenuous; laborious; requiring great effort.

Describes tasks or situations that require significant effort or are difficult to handle. Can describe physical exertion, mental strain, or challenging circumstances. Often used to express that something is harder than expected.

Examples

1. 他提着两个大箱子，走得很吃力。 He was carrying two big suitcases and walking with great difficulty.
2. 这门课太难了，学起来很吃力。 This course is too hard; it's really strenuous to study.
3. 年纪大了，爬楼梯越来越吃力了。 As I get older, climbing stairs is becoming more and more difficult.

Usage Guide

Context: difficulty, effort, challenges

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 你看起来很吃力。(You look like you're struggling.)
• 这工作太吃力了。(This job is too strenuous.)

Don't Say

• 说'吃力极了'表示非常简单——吃力是困难费劲的意思，不是轻松的意思 (Don't use 吃力 to mean something is easy — it means difficult and strenuous, not effortless)

Origin & History

Compound of 吃 (to consume/expend) + 力 (strength/effort), meaning 'consuming a lot of effort.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal