辛勤

• Pinyin: xīn qín
• Hanzi breakdown: 辛 = represents hard labour and hardship; 勤 = 堇 + 力 (persistent effort, diligence combined with strength)

Meaning

Hardworking; diligent; industrious. Describes sustained, earnest effort put into work or study without complaint.

A highly positive descriptor in Chinese culture. Often used to praise workers, parents, teachers, and students who put in consistent effort. Carries connotations of moral virtue.

Examples

1. 农民们辛勤劳作，才换来了这丰收的季节。 Only through the farmers’ hard work did this harvest season become possible.
2. 多年辛勤耕耘，她终于在学术领域取得了令人瞩目的成就。 After years of diligent effort, she finally achieved remarkable success in academia.
3. 老师们辛勤付出，是学生成长路上最重要的引路人之一。 Teachers’ tireless dedication makes them one of the most important guides on students’ path of growth.

Usage Guide

Context: work, education, praise, public speeches

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 正是凭借着数十年辛勤钻研的精神，这位科学家最终攻克了困扰业界多年的技术难关。(It was precisely through decades of diligent, painstaking research that this scientist finally overcame the technical challenges that had plagued the industry for years.)
• 我们应当向那些默默辛勤劳动的一线工人致以最诚挚的敬意，是他们的付出支撑起了整个社会的运转。(We should pay our most sincere respect to the front-line workers who labour diligently in silence — it is their contribution that sustains the functioning of the entire society.)

Don't Say

• 他很辛勤地玩游戏 — 辛勤 implies earnest, productive labour; use 专心 or 投入 for leisure activities

Origin & History

辛 (hardship/toil) + 勤 (diligent/assiduous)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal