用功

yòng gōng

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Verb Uncommon

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Definitions

1. diligent
2. industrious (in one's studies)
3. to study hard
4. to make great effort

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 懒惰 lǎn duò 懒惰 lǎn duò idle 懒惰 means lazy, the opposite of diligent studying: idle

Related words

1 item

• 刻苦 kè kǔ 刻苦 kè kǔ hardworking 刻苦 is similar but stresses enduring hardship and working hard despite difficulties: hardworking

Synonyms

2 items

• 努力 nǔ lì 努力 nǔ lì to make an effort; to try hard; to strive 努力 is more general 'to make an effort', while 用功 emphasizes diligent study or training: to make an effort; to try hard; to strive
• 勤奋 qín fèn 勤奋 qín fèn hardworking 勤奋 implies consistent hard work and diligence, often used for studying or work: hardworking

Usage notes

Collocations

用功 is often used in the phrase 用功读书 (study hard), or as an adjective: 他很用功 (He is very studious).

Example Sentences

3 shown

他学习很 用功 。

He studies very diligently.

保羅這幾天很 用功 讀書。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 857991)

我總是 用功 讀書。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 919879)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 用功

• 功 功 gōng: meritorious deed or service
• 用 用 yòng: to use