功

• Pinyin: gōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 工 (craft/work, phonetic) + 力 (force/strength, semantic) — merit achieved through sustained effort

Meaning

Merit; achievement; contribution; work (physics). Success or credit gained through effort, or the rate of energy transfer in physics.

In general language: meritorious deeds, achievements, or contributions. In classical usage: military merit or great deeds (立功, 功过). In physics: work done by a force (W = Fd). Appears in many idioms: 功亏一篑 (fail at the last step), 大功告成 (a great task is accomplished), 事半功倍 (half the effort, double the result).

Examples

1. 他为公司发展立下了汗马功劳，深受同事的尊敬。 He made outstanding contributions to the company's growth and earned deep respect from his colleagues.
2. 经过团队数年努力，项目大功告成，所有人都松了一口气。 After years of work by the team, the project was finally completed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
3. 在物理学中，功等于力与物体位移的乘积。 In physics, work equals force multiplied by an object's displacement.

Usage Guide

Context: achievement, history, physics, idioms

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他为改革立下了不可磨灭的功。(He made an indelible contribution to the reform.)
• 此次科研攻关终于成功，大功告成。(The scientific research breakthrough has finally succeeded — the great task is accomplished.)

Don't Say

• 将物理意义的'功'与日常'功劳'概念混用而不说明语境 — clarify whether you mean physical work (能量转移) or merit/contribution (贡献) to avoid ambiguity

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 工 (work/craft, phonetic) + 力 (force/effort, semantic) — achievement through work and effort

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal