废寝忘食

• Pinyin: fèi qǐn wàng shí
• Desglose de hanzi: 废 = abandoned; 寝 = 宀 + 爿 + 又 (roof + bed frame + hand — bedroom, sleep); 忘 = 亡 + 心 (death + heart — to forget); 食 = 亼 + 良 (to assemble + good grain — to eat, food)

Significado

Olvidarse de comer y dormir (por dedicación absoluta).

A four-character chengyu (成语) from classical Chinese. Used to commend dedication and diligence, particularly in academic, creative, or professional contexts. Positive in connotation — implies admirable commitment rather than unhealthy neglect.

Ejemplos

1. 为赶在截止日期前完成这部耗费数年心血的学术专著，他在最后冲刺阶段几乎废寝忘食，每天工作超过十六个小时，连续数周未曾好好休息。
2. 那个年代的科学家们心怀报国之志，废寝忘食地投身于核技术的自主研发，以一代人的青春岁月换来了国家战略威慑能力的历史性突破。
3. 她对古典文学的热爱已到了废寝忘食的程度，有时读到精彩之处会忘记时间，直到黎明时分才恍然发现自己彻夜未眠。

Guía de uso

Contexto: academia, literature, work, public speaking

Tono: positive

Correcto

• 这批援藏干部废寝忘食投入高原建设，几年内建成了原本要十年才能完工的公路和水利工程。(This group of officials sent to support Tibet worked tirelessly on high-altitude development, finishing roads and water projects in a few years that would normally take ten.)
• 他废寝忘食地钻研这个数学难题长达数月，笔记本写满了密密麻麻的推导过程，周围的人都感叹于他将全部精力投入一个单一问题的惊人专注力。(He devoted himself single-mindedly to this mathematical problem for months, filling notebooks with dense derivations — those around him marvelled at the astonishing focus with which he channelled all his energy into a single question.)

Incorrecto

• 废寝忘食 for negative or unhealthy overwork without positive intent — the idiom carries a positive, admiring connotation; for neutral or negative descriptions of overwork, prefer 过度劳累 or 精疲力竭 (exhausted)

Origen e historia

Classical Chinese idiom: 废 (to abandon; to neglect) + 寝 (sleep; bedroom) + 忘 (to forget) + 食 (food; eating) — to neglect sleep and forget to eat

Contexto cultural

Época: Classical to modern

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal