白费心机

bái fèi xīn jī◆idiom
to waste one's efforts

他白费心机地劝她放弃这个计划。

He wasted his efforts trying to persuade her to abandon the plan.

◆ What It Really Means
To expend effort or energy on something that ultimately proves futile or unsuccessful.
Literal Meaning
To waste effort or scheme.
Literal Breakdown
白费to waste+心机effort or scheme
◇ Mental Image
The mental image of someone working hard but achieving nothing, like a person pushing a boulder uphill only for it to roll back down.
◈ When to Use
A student spends months preparing for an exam but fails, realizing their efforts were in vain.
◉ Cultural Note
This idiom reflects a cultural emphasis on the value of effort and the frustration that arises when that effort is not rewarded.
informal

To expend effort or energy on something that ultimately proves futile or unsuccessful.

尽管他花了很多时间准备，但最终的结果还是白费心机。

Despite spending a lot of time preparing, the final result was still a waste of effort.

This idiom is often used to express disappointment or frustration when efforts do not yield the desired outcome.

Related Phrases

徒劳无功idiom
to labor in vain
劳而无功idiom
to work hard but achieve nothing

Pro Tip

Usage Context

This idiom is often used to express frustration or disappointment when efforts do not yield results.

Gold Rule

Avoid Overuse

While useful, overusing this idiom can make your speech sound overly negative or pessimistic.

Word Origin

The idiom combines '白费' (to waste) and '心机' (effort or scheme), emphasizing the futility of expended energy.

Usage Notes

This idiom is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe situations where efforts are not rewarded.

Word Breakdown

白费
to waste
root
+
心机
effort or scheme
root
汉英词典