Vocabulary · 词汇 cíhuì

功夫

gōngfu

Effort, time, and mastery — the word that encodes China's deepest theory of how skill is built.

字源 zìyuán Etymology & Origin
字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight

功 gōng (achievement; merit; work — originally: a carpenter's square 工 doing work, the combining of craft and force) + 夫 fū (man; husband; a person who labors — originally: a grown man with a hairpin through his topknot, marking adulthood). Time spent by a person doing work. 功夫 originally meant exactly that: the time and effort invested in something.

The martial arts meaning came second — because mastery of martial arts is the paradigm case of 功夫: years of dedicated, repetitive practice producing a capability that cannot be rushed or faked. The Western loanword "kung fu" captured only the martial meaning. But the Chinese word is richer and more fundamental: 功夫 is any deeply cultivated skill, and always implies time as the medium through which skill is built.

A calligrapher's beautiful brushwork is 功夫. A chef's precise knife technique is 功夫. A diplomat's carefully chosen pause before speaking shows 功夫. When someone says 你很有功夫 — "you have real 功夫" — they mean: I can see the years you have put in. That is the deepest possible compliment.

功夫 gōngfu 功夫 as Effort & Time
学者洞见 xuézhě dòngjiàn · Scholar Note

The core meaning of 功夫 is time-and-effort invested in something. This framing is more useful than "skill" because it contains the method: skill is 功夫 accumulated. You don't "have" skill — you "put in" 功夫 (下功夫) and skill is the result. This is China's theory of mastery, explicitly encoded in the word: there is no talent that shortcuts the hours. The character 功 contains 工 (carpenter's square — precision craft) and the meaning of achievement through measured effort. The character 夫 contains the image of a laboring adult. Together: sustained human effort applied over time produces results worth noting.

功夫 gōngfu effort; time spent; painstaking work; skill as the result of sustained practice
N 名词 míngcí
The primary sense: time and effort invested. 下功夫 = to put in effort/time (literally: to place the work down). 费功夫 = to take effort; to be labor-intensive. 花功夫 = to spend time and effort. The word treats skill not as an attribute to be possessed but as a product to be produced — through the investment of hours and attention.
这幅画下了很多功夫，细节非常精致。
Zhè fú huà xià le hěn duō gōngfu, xìjié fēicháng jīngzhì.
A great deal of effort went into this painting — the details are extremely refined.
学好中文需要下功夫，没有捷径。
Xué hǎo Zhōngwén xūyào xià gōngfu, méiyǒu jiéjìng.
Mastering Chinese requires putting in the work — there are no shortcuts.
他在这件事上花了很多功夫，值得称赞。
Tā zài zhè jiàn shì shàng huā le hěn duō gōngfu, zhídé chēngzàn.
He spent a great deal of effort on this matter — it deserves praise.
辨析 biànxī · 功夫 vs. 工夫 功夫 gōngfu = skill; effort invested; the martial arts. 工夫 gōngfu (same pronunciation, different character) = a stretch of time; the time available. 这点工夫够了 (this amount of time is enough) vs. 他花了很多功夫 (he invested a great deal of effort). The distinction is subtle and sometimes collapsed in informal use, but in formal writing the characters differ.
下功夫 xià gōngfu to put in the work; to make a serious effort; to buckle down
V 动词 dòngcí
下 xià (to place; to put down) + 功夫 (effort/work). The verb phrase for serious, sustained investment of effort. The directional 下 is crucial: you are depositing effort into something, like placing a foundation. Not a momentary burst of energy but a committed, extended investment. Appears constantly in motivational contexts, educational settings, and discussions of craftsmanship.
要想学好，就要认真下功夫。
Yào xiǎng xué hǎo, jiù yào rènzhēn xià gōngfu.
If you want to learn well, you have to put in the work seriously.
他在烹饪上下了很多功夫，厨艺进步明显。
Tā zài pēngrèn shàng xià le hěn duō gōngfu, chúyì jìnbù míngxiǎn.
He put a great deal of effort into cooking — his culinary skills have improved noticeably.
这个问题需要认真下功夫研究，不能马虎。
Zhège wèntí xūyào rènzhēn xià gōngfu yánjiū, bù néng mǎhu.
This problem requires serious dedicated study — it cannot be handled carelessly.
费功夫 fèi gōngfu to take effort; to be laborious; to be time-consuming
V 动词 dòngcí
费 fèi (to spend; to cost; to consume) + 功夫 (effort). Where 下功夫 emphasizes voluntarily investing effort, 费功夫 emphasizes the effort a task demands of you — the cost side of the equation. A task that is 费功夫 is demanding, painstaking, time-intensive. Often used to describe handmade goods, meticulous craftsmanship, or any process that cannot be rushed.
手工刺绣很费功夫，一件要绣好几个月。
Shǒugōng cìxiù hěn fèi gōngfu, yī jiàn yào xiù hǎo jǐ gè yuè.
Hand embroidery is very labor-intensive — a single piece can take several months to complete.
这件事挺费功夫的，你得有耐心。
Zhè jiàn shì tǐng fèi gōngfu de, nǐ děi yǒu nàixīn.
This matter is quite labor-intensive — you'll need to have patience.
做这道菜很费功夫，但值得。
Zuò zhè dào cài hěn fèi gōngfu, dàn zhídé.
Making this dish takes a lot of effort, but it's worth it.
武术 wǔshù 功夫 as Martial Arts
学者洞见 xuézhě dòngjiàn · Scholar Note

功夫 as martial arts is the paradigm case of the broader concept: years of practice produce a skill that cannot be faked, imitated, or acquired through shortcuts. The Chinese martial arts world distinguishes 内功 nèigōng (internal cultivation — qi, meditation, inner power: Tai Chi, Baguazhang) vs. 外功 wàigōng (external strength — physical conditioning, striking, technique: Shaolin). Both are 功夫, and both demand the same thing: years.

The Shaolin Temple 少林寺 on Song Mountain in Henan is considered the origin of Chinese martial arts. Bruce Lee (李小龙 Lǐ Xiǎolóng) brought 功夫 to a global audience; Jet Li (李连杰) and Jackie Chan (成龙 Chéng Lóng) continued the transmission. The Cantonese pronunciation "gung fu" became the English "kung fu" — carrying only the martial meaning across to English while the full richness of the word remained behind.

武功 wǔgōng martial arts skills; fighting ability; martial merit
N 名词 míngcí
武 wǔ (martial; military) + 功 gōng (skill; merit; achievement). The wuxia term for one's martial ability level — the 功 of the 江湖 world. A character's 武功 is their rank in the martial hierarchy. 武功高强 = formidable martial skill. 武功秘籍 = a secret manual for advancing martial skill. In real-world martial arts contexts, 武功 refers to actual fighting technique and conditioning.
他的武功高强，鲜有对手。
Tā de wǔgōng gāoqiáng, xiǎn yǒu duìshǒu.
His martial skills are formidable — he rarely meets his match.
练武功需要坚持，不能三天打鱼两天晒网。
Liàn wǔgōng xūyào jiānchí, bù néng sān tiān dǎ yú liǎng tiān shài wǎng.
Training martial arts requires persistence — you can't practice three days and slack off two.
这本武功秘籍据说能让人武功大进。
Zhè běn wǔgōng mìjí jùshuō néng ràng rén wǔgōng dà jìn.
This secret martial arts manual is said to dramatically advance one's fighting skill.
太极拳 tàijí quán Tai Chi Chuan — the soft internal martial art based on yin-yang principles
N 名词 míngcí
太极 tàijí (the Supreme Ultimate — the cosmological concept) + 拳 quán (fist; boxing style). The soft, circular martial art based on the principles of 阴阳: yielding overcomes force, softness overcomes hardness, stillness overcomes motion. A paradigm of 内功 (internal cultivation). Practiced today as both a martial art and a health practice — the slow, flowing movements seen in parks every morning across China are a distilled 功夫 of balance and body awareness.
他每天早上在公园打太极拳，已经坚持了二十年。
Tā měitiān zǎoshàng zài gōngyuán dǎ tàijí quán, yǐjīng jiānchí le èrshí nián.
He practices Tai Chi in the park every morning — he has kept it up for twenty years.
太极拳是内家功夫，以柔克刚。
Tàijí quán shì nèijiā gōngfu, yǐ róu kè gāng.
Tai Chi is an internal martial art — it uses softness to overcome hardness.
学太极拳入门容易，精通很难。
Xué tàijí quán rùmén róngyì, jīngtōng hěn nán.
Learning Tai Chi is easy to start, but mastery is very difficult.
少林功夫 Shàolín gōngfu Shaolin kung fu — the hard external martial art of the Shaolin Temple
N 名词 míngcí
少林 Shàolín (the Shaolin Temple, founded ca. 495 CE on Song Mountain, Henan) + 功夫. The hard, external (外功) martial tradition that emphasizes physical conditioning, striking power, and acrobatic technique. Monks at the Shaolin Temple developed martial arts as part of spiritual discipline — the 功夫 of the body was inseparable from the 功夫 of the mind. Today, Shaolin is both a living religious institution and a cultural symbol recognized worldwide.
少林功夫享誉全球，吸引了无数外国学员。
Shàolín gōngfu xiǎngyù quánqiú, xīyǐn le wúshù wàiguó xuéyuán.
Shaolin kung fu is renowned worldwide and has attracted countless foreign students.
少林功夫的基本功包括站桩、扎马步等。
Shàolín gōngfu de jīběngōng bāokuò zhàn zhuāng, zhā mǎbù děng.
The fundamentals of Shaolin kung fu include standing post practice, horse stance training, and more.
功 gōng 功 in Compounds
构词规律 gòucí guīlǜ · Word-Formation 功 gōng is one of the most productive characters in Chinese — it appears in words about achievement, work, function, and merit across many domains. Core meaning: work applied yielding measurable result. 功 + X → the merit/work of X. X + 功 → the achievement/merit produced through X.
成功 chénggōng to succeed; success; successful
V/N/Adj 动名形
成 chéng (to accomplish; to become; to complete) + 功 gōng (achievement; merit). To bring merit into being; to accomplish something of worth. One of the highest-frequency words in Chinese across every register: speeches, toasts, business meetings, parting words, WeChat messages. The formula 祝你成功！(Wishing you success!) is universal.
祝你成功！一切顺利！
Zhù nǐ chénggōng! Yīqiè shùnlì!
Wishing you success! May everything go smoothly!
他经过多年努力，终于成功了。
Tā jīngguò duō nián nǔlì, zhōngyú chénggōng le.
After years of hard work, he finally succeeded.
成功的秘诀是坚持和自律。
Chénggōng de mìjué shì jiānchí hé zìlǜ.
The secret to success is persistence and self-discipline.
功能 gōngnéng function; capability; feature
N 名词 míngcí
功 gōng (work; merit) + 能 néng (ability; can). The work that something is able to do — its function. Appears everywhere: product features (软件功能 — software features), biology (心脏的功能 — the function of the heart), linguistics (句子的功能 — the function of a sentence). 多功能 (multi-function) is a ubiquitous compound in product descriptions.
这个软件有很多功能，你慢慢探索。
Zhège ruǎnjiàn yǒu hěn duō gōngnéng, nǐ mànmàn tànsuǒ.
This software has many features — explore them at your own pace.
心脏的主要功能是把血液泵送到全身。
Xīnzàng de zhǔyào gōngnéng shì bǎ xuèyè bèng sòng dào quánshēn.
The main function of the heart is to pump blood throughout the body.
这是一个多功能厅，可以举办各种活动。
Zhè shì yīgè duō gōngnéng tīng, kěyǐ jǔbàn gè zhǒng huódòng.
This is a multipurpose hall — it can host all kinds of events.
功劳 gōngláo contribution; credit; merit earned through effort
N 名词 míngcí
功 gōng (achievement) + 劳 láo (labor; toil). The credit and recognition that comes from effort invested. 功劳 is owed — it is not just recognition but acknowledgment of debt. Classic saying: 没有功劳也有苦劳 (méiyǒu gōngláo yě yǒu kǔláo) — "even if there is no achievement, there is at least the toil." A plea for recognition of effort even when results are lacking.
这次成功，功劳最大的是你。
Zhè cì chénggōng, gōngláo zuì dà de shì nǐ.
For this success, you deserve the greatest credit.
没有功劳也有苦劳，总不能就这样走人。
Méiyǒu gōngláo yě yǒu kǔláo, zǒng bù néng jiù zhèyàng zǒu rén.
Even if there's no achievement, there's at least the toil — you can't just let someone go like this.
他独揽功劳，不肯与人分享。
Tā dú lǎn gōngláo, bù kěn yǔ rén fēnxiǎng.
He took all the credit for himself and refused to share it.
功课 gōngkè homework; schoolwork; preparation; research done before a task
N 名词 míngcí
功 gōng (work; effort) + 课 kè (lesson; course). Originally: the work (功夫) one does for one's lessons (课). Still means homework in the educational sense, but has developed a broader meaning: 做功课 can mean doing one's research or preparation before any significant task or decision — due diligence in business, preparation before a meeting, research before a trip.
先做好功课，再去谈判，成功率更高。
Xiān zuò hǎo gōngkè, zài qù tánpàn, chénggōng lǜ gèng gāo.
Do your homework first, then go into the negotiation — your success rate will be higher.
他在投资前做了充分的功课，非常谨慎。
Tā zài tóuzī qián zuò le chōngfèn de gōngkè, fēicháng jǐnshèn.
Before investing, he did thorough research — he was very careful.
孩子们放学后要先做功课，再玩。
Háizimen fàngxué hòu yào xiān zuò gōngkè, zài wán.
After school, children should do their homework before playing.
夫 fū 夫 in Compounds
夫妻 fūqī husband and wife; a married couple
N 名词 míngcí
夫 fū (husband) + 妻 qī (wife). The standard word for a married couple as a unit. Classical proverb: 夫妻同心，其利断金 (when husband and wife work together, they can cut through gold). 夫妻 is formal; the colloquial word for spouse/husband is 老公 lǎogōng and for wife is 老婆 lǎopo. 夫妻关系 = marital relations; 夫妻感情 = the emotional bond of a married couple.
他们是一对恩爱的夫妻，结婚三十年了。
Tāmen shì yī duì ēn'ài de fūqī, jiéhūn sānshí nián le.
They are a devoted couple — they have been married for thirty years.
夫妻同心，其利断金。
Fūqī tóng xīn, qí lì duàn jīn.
When husband and wife work together, they can cut through gold — nothing is beyond them.
夫妻之间要多沟通，不能憋在心里。
Fūqī zhījiān yào duō gōutōng, bù néng biē zài xīn lǐ.
Couples need to communicate more — things can't be bottled up inside.
丈夫 zhàngfu husband; also (classical): a man of stature
N 名词 míngcí
丈 zhàng (a unit of length, about 3.3 meters — the height of a tall, impressive person) + 夫 fū (laboring man). Originally: a man of impressive stature and character. Now the standard formal word for "husband." The classical expression 大丈夫 dà zhàngfu (a real man; a man of character and resolve) preserves the original meaning: someone of moral stature, not just physical. 大丈夫能屈能伸 (a real man can bend and can straighten — knows when to yield and when to act).
我丈夫出差了，这周不在家。
Wǒ zhàngfu chūchāi le, zhè zhōu bú zài jiā.
My husband is on a business trip — he's not home this week.
大丈夫能屈能伸，不必斤斤计较。
Dà zhàngfu néng qū néng shēn, bù bì jīnjīn jìjiào.
A man of character can yield and can act — he need not be petty about every little thing.
工夫 gōngfu time; a stretch of time; the time it takes to do something
N 名词 míngcí
Note: same pronunciation as 功夫 but written with 工 (work; craft). 工夫 specifically means "a stretch of time" or "the time available." This is the time-container sense, while 功夫 is the effort-content sense. In practice, native speakers often write either character in informal contexts; the distinction is clearest in formal writing. 有工夫 = to have time/free time. 这点工夫 = this amount of time.
你有工夫来我家坐坐吗？
Nǐ yǒu gōngfu lái wǒ jiā zuò zuò ma?
Do you have time to come by my place for a visit?
就这点工夫，你已经做完了？
Jiù zhè diǎn gōngfu, nǐ yǐjīng zuòwán le?
In just this little time, you've already finished?
费了很大工夫，才找到这个地方。
Fèi le hěn dà gōngfu, cái zhǎodào zhège dìfang.
It took a great deal of time to find this place.
成语 chéngyǔ Idioms & Set Phrases
功夫不负有心人 gōngfu bù fù yǒuxīn rén effort does not fail the determined person — hard work pays off; persistence wins One of the most commonly cited Chinese sayings about effort. 有心人 = a person with resolve and intention. The saying frames determination as the prerequisite: effort pays off for those who truly commit to it. 只要坚持，功夫不负有心人。(As long as you persist, effort will not fail the determined.) Appears on classroom walls, in graduation speeches, and in parting advice across China.
大功告成 dà gōng gào chéng great achievement announced complete — the task is accomplished; mission accomplished 大功 = great achievement; 告成 = to announce/declare completion. Used for significant accomplishments after sustained effort — completing a major project, building something, finishing a long-term goal. 经过多年努力，大功告成。(After years of effort, the great work is complete.) More ceremonial than the everyday 完成了.
事半功倍 shì bàn gōng bèi half the effort, double the results — efficient; getting more done with less work 事 shì = task/effort; 半 bàn = half; 功 gōng = achievement; 倍 bèi = double. The ideal of elegant efficiency: achieving twice the result with half the input. 这个方法让我们事半功倍。(This method lets us achieve double the results with half the effort.) Often used to recommend strategies or tools that dramatically increase efficiency.
功亏一篑 gōng kuī yī kuì achievement falls short by one basket — to fail at the last step; to ruin everything through one final mistake From the Book of Documents (尚书): the image of building a mountain, needing only one more basket of earth (篑 kuì), and stopping — leaving the mountain unfinished. The lesson: sustained effort means nothing if abandoned at the end. 不要在最后关头功亏一篑。(Don't ruin everything at the final moment.) The tragedy of near-success is the deepest kind.
相邻词汇 xiānglín cíhuì Adjacent Vocabulary
技术jìshùtechnique; technology 技巧jìqiǎoskill; technique 本领běnlǐngability; capability 才能cáinéngtalent; ability 努力nǔlìto work hard; effort 练习liànxíto practice 坚持jiānchíto persist; perseverance 武术wǔshùmartial arts (general term) 修炼xiūliànto cultivate; to train (spiritual connotation) 精通jīngtōngto master; to be proficient 熟能生巧shú néng shēng qiǎopractice makes perfect 内功nèigōnginternal martial cultivation
记忆法 jìyìfǎ · Master Retention Image

A carpenter's square doing work, plus a laboring man. That is 功夫: sustained human effort applied over time. The martial arts meaning is the most famous export — the one that crossed into English and became "kung fu" — but the root meaning is the more profound one. In Chinese thought, there is no shortcut, no talent that substitutes for the hours.

The calligrapher's stroke, the diplomat's pause, the chef's cut — all are 功夫, all cost time, all reveal the person behind them. When someone says 你很有功夫 — "you have real 功夫" — they are saying: I can see the years you've put in. That is the highest compliment the word can carry.