Definition
艰苦奋斗 is a four-character set phrase (成语) that literally means 'hard struggle and arduous fight'. It refers to the spirit of working persistently and diligently despite difficulties and hardships. The phrase carries strong cultural and political resonance in China — it was famously promoted during the Yan'an period and is often used in official discourse to encourage perseverance, thrift, and collective effort. In everyday language, you can use it to describe any determined, long-term effort against obstacles.
f.e.
to work hard and persevere in the face of difficultiesindomitable struggle
Examples
- 艰苦奋斗。Lǎo yī bèi de gémìngjiā kào jiān kǔ fèn dǒu dǎ xià le jiāngshān.The older generation of revolutionaries relied on hard struggle to build the country.
- 艰苦奋斗，。Gōngsī tíchàng jiān kǔ fèn dǒu de jīngshén, gǔlì yuángōng bú pà kùnnán.The company promotes the spirit of hard struggle and encourages employees not to fear difficulties.
- 艰苦奋斗，。Jīngguò shí nián de jiān kǔ fèn dǒu, tā zhōngyú chuàngyè chénggōng le.After ten years of hard struggle, he finally succeeded in his startup.
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