汗水

• Pinyin: hàn shuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 汗 = 氵(water) + 干 (dry) — moisture from dryness/heat; 水 = pictograph of flowing water

Meaning

Sweat; perspiration — the fluid secreted by sweat glands during physical exertion or heat, and by extension a symbol of hard work and toil.

Frequently used figuratively to represent dedication and effort. 汗水 (sweat as a mass noun, often figurative) is broader than 汗 (sweat as a substance). Common in motivational language and literary expression: 用汗水换来的成功 (success earned through sweat and toil).

Examples

1. 运动员们在训练场上挥洒汗水，为即将到来的全国锦标赛做着最后的冲刺准备。 The athletes are sweating it out on the training field, making a final push in preparation for the upcoming national championships.
2. 这片沙漠中的绿洲凝聚了几代移民的汗水与心血，如今已成为远近闻名的农业示范基地。 This desert oasis is the result of generations of immigrants’ sweat and dedication, and it has now become a well-known agricultural demonstration base.
3. 她用多年的汗水与坚持，最终将一个濒临倒闭的小作坊发展成为拥有数百名员工的现代企业。 With years of hard work and persistence, she turned a small workshop on the verge of bankruptcy into a modern company with hundreds of employees.

Usage Guide

Context: sport, literature, motivational, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 多年来，他以默默耕耘的汗水浇灌着这片土地，终于盼来了今日的丰收。(For many years, he irrigated this land with the sweat of his silent toil, finally seeing today's bountiful harvest.)
• 实验室里的研究人员连续奋战了七十二小时，以汗水和智慧攻克了这一困扰学界多年的技术难题。(The researchers in the laboratory fought continuously for seventy-two hours, overcoming with sweat and wisdom a technical problem that had plagued the academic community for many years.)

Don't Say

• 汗水 when referring to emotional tears — 汗水 is specifically sweat; for tears use 泪水 or 泪珠

Origin & History

汗 (sweat) + 水 (water) — literally 'sweat water'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal