Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
功夫
gōngfu
Description
“功夫”常常指做一件事花的时间和力气。
"功夫" often refers to the time and effort spent doing something.
它也可以指中国的武术，很多外国人都听过“中国功夫”。
It can also mean Chinese martial arts, which many foreigners have heard of as "Chinese 功夫".
Meanings
功夫gōngfu
time and effort spent on something
学好中文要下功夫。
To learn Chinese well, you need to put in effort.
功夫gōngfu
martial arts, kung fu
他从小就练功夫。
He has been practicing kung fu since he was a child.
功夫gōngfu
skill gained through practice
他做菜的功夫真好。
He is really skilled at cooking.
Related words
Notes
- Etymology
功 (effort/skill) + 夫 (labor); literally 'work put in over time'.
- Nuance
also written 工夫 for the 'time/effort' sense, but 功夫 is preferred for martial arts.
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