白费力气的努力

bái fèi lì qi de nǔ lì

wasted effort

你再怎么努力也只是白费力气的努力，因为条件根本不允许。

No matter how hard you try, it’s just wasted effort because the conditions simply don’t allow it.

◆ What It Really Means

Actions that appear productive but yield no tangible results due to external constraints or inherent flaws.

¶ Literal Meaning

Effort that is spent in vain, like pouring water into a sieve.

Literal Breakdown

白费to spend in vain+力气physical or mental strength+的努力effort

◇ Mental Image

Mentally visualizing someone pushing against a locked door or filling a basket with water—effortful but futile.

◈ When to Use

A student studies for an exam they’re certain to fail, or a team works on a project with no resources. The phrase is used to express sympathy or to advise stopping.

◉ Cultural Note

Roots in traditional Chinese fatalism, where accepting limitations is seen as wisdom. The imagery of 'white' (白) symbolizes emptiness or futility.

informal

Effort that produces no useful result due to insurmountable obstacles or inherent impossibility.

明知不可为而为之，只会是白费力气的努力。

Knowing it’s impossible but still trying is just wasted effort.

Often used to advise against pursuing unattainable goals.

Collocations

白费力气wasted effort徒劳无功fruitless labor

Synonyms

徒劳无功枉费心机无用功

Antonyms

事半功倍行之有效

Related Phrases

竹篮打水一场空idiom

drawing water with a bamboo basket—all in vain

对牛弹琴idiom

casting pearls before swine

Pro Tip

Usage Context

Use this phrase when someone is exerting effort toward an impossible goal. It’s stronger than '徒劳' (futile) and implies a sense of pity or resignation.

Gold Rule

Avoiding Redundancy

The phrase '的努力' can often be omitted in conversation for brevity, e.g., '白费力气' alone suffices.

Word Origin

Literally 'white-spend-strength-的-effort,' where '白费' (bái fèi) means 'wasted' and '力气' (lì qi) means 'effort.' The phrase emphasizes the futility of the action.

Usage Notes

Commonly used in spoken Chinese to discourage unrealistic pursuits. The phrase '的努力' (de nǔ lì) can sometimes be omitted in casual speech, e.g., '白费力气' alone.

Word Breakdown

白费

wasted (lit. 'white-spend')

compound

力气

effort/strength

noun

的

possessive particle (links '力气' to '努力')

grammatical

努力

effort

noun

汉英词典

白费力气的努力

bái fèi lì qi de nǔ lì

wasted effort

你再怎么努力也只是白费力气的努力，因为条件根本不允许。

No matter how hard you try, it’s just wasted effort because the conditions simply don’t allow it.

◆ What It Really Means

Actions that appear productive but yield no tangible results due to external constraints or inherent flaws.

¶ Literal Meaning

Effort that is spent in vain, like pouring water into a sieve.

Literal Breakdown

白费to spend in vain+力气physical or mental strength+的努力effort

◇ Mental Image

Mentally visualizing someone pushing against a locked door or filling a basket with water—effortful but futile.

◈ When to Use

A student studies for an exam they’re certain to fail, or a team works on a project with no resources. The phrase is used to express sympathy or to advise stopping.

◉ Cultural Note

Roots in traditional Chinese fatalism, where accepting limitations is seen as wisdom. The imagery of 'white' (白) symbolizes emptiness or futility.

informal

Effort that produces no useful result due to insurmountable obstacles or inherent impossibility.

明知不可为而为之，只会是白费力气的努力。

Knowing it’s impossible but still trying is just wasted effort.

Often used to advise against pursuing unattainable goals.

Collocations

白费力气wasted effort徒劳无功fruitless labor

Synonyms

徒劳无功枉费心机无用功

Antonyms

事半功倍行之有效

Related Phrases

竹篮打水一场空idiom

drawing water with a bamboo basket—all in vain

对牛弹琴idiom

casting pearls before swine

Pro Tip

Usage Context

Use this phrase when someone is exerting effort toward an impossible goal. It’s stronger than '徒劳' (futile) and implies a sense of pity or resignation.

Gold Rule

Avoiding Redundancy

The phrase '的努力' can often be omitted in conversation for brevity, e.g., '白费力气' alone suffices.

Word Origin

Literally 'white-spend-strength-的-effort,' where '白费' (bái fèi) means 'wasted' and '力气' (lì qi) means 'effort.' The phrase emphasizes the futility of the action.

Usage Notes

Commonly used in spoken Chinese to discourage unrealistic pursuits. The phrase '的努力' (de nǔ lì) can sometimes be omitted in casual speech, e.g., '白费力气' alone.

Word Breakdown

白费

wasted (lit. 'white-spend')

compound

力气

effort/strength

noun

的

possessive particle (links '力气' to '努力')

grammatical

努力

effort

noun

汉英词典