Definition
This is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to work to no avail' — you put in effort but get zero result. It's often used to criticize wasted effort or to describe a situation where hard work doesn't pay off. The structure is 徒劳 (futile labor) + 无功 (no achievement), so the literal meaning matches the figurative one, making it easy to remember once you know the characters.
f.e.
to make a futile effortto work in vainto accomplish nothing despite hard work
Examples
- ，徒劳无功。Tā huā le hěn duō shíjiān zuò zhè jiàn shì, jiéguǒ què shì tú láo wú gōng.He spent a lot of time on this, but it turned out to be a futile effort.
- ，徒劳无功。Rúguǒ fāngfǎ bú duì, zài nǔlì yě shì tú láo wú gōng.If the method is wrong, no amount of effort will be fruitful.
- ，徒劳无功。Tāmen shìtú shuōfú duìfāng, dàn zuìzhōng tú láo wú gōng.They tried to persuade the other side, but in the end it was all in vain.
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