务实

• Pinyin: wù shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 务 = 攵 + 力 (action + strength — duty, to engage in); 实 = 宀 + 贝 (roof + value/shell — solid, real, substance)

Meaning

Pragmatic; realistic; down-to-earth. Describing an approach that focuses on practical results rather than theory or ideology.

A highly valued quality in Chinese political, business, and academic discourse. Often contrasted with 务虚 (idealistic or theoretical). Frequently appears in leadership evaluations, policy discussions, and professional assessments.

Examples

1. 这位领导干部以务实的工作作风赢得了基层群众的广泛信赖与认可。 This official has won broad trust and recognition from the grassroots public with a pragmatic work style.
2. 双方在会谈中展现出务实合作的态度，就多项争议条款达成了原则性共识。 In the talks, both sides demonstrated a pragmatic, cooperative attitude and reached a principled consensus on several disputed clauses.
3. 学校鼓励学生在学习理论的同时培养务实的思维习惯，以应对复杂多变的社会需求。 The school encourages students to develop practical habits of thinking while learning theory, so they can meet complex and changing societal needs.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, business, leadership evaluation, academia, policy

Tone: approving

Do Say

• 这项改革能顺利推进，关键在于团队始终务实，把政策落到当地实际。(This reform can advance smoothly because the team has always been pragmatic and grounded the policy in local realities.)
• 中方代表团以务实立场赢得尊重，双方放下预设，协商出兼顾彼此需求的合作框架。(The Chinese delegation won respect with a pragmatic stance, and both sides set aside their preconceptions and worked out a cooperative framework that meets both sides' needs.)

Don't Say

• 务实 to mean merely 'hardworking' or 'diligent' — 务实 specifically means pragmatic or results-oriented, not simply industrious; use 勤奋 or 努力 for diligence

Origin & History

务 (engage in, be obliged to) + 实 (reality, substance) — to engage with reality; to be grounded in practical matters

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal