túláo wúgōng: 徒劳无功 - Fruitless Effort, To Work in Vain

• Keywords: túláo wúgōng, 徒劳无功, tulao wugong, Chinese idiom for futility, work in vain Chinese, fruitless effort, all for nothing in Chinese, chengyu about wasted effort, Chinese proverb futile
• Summary: Discover the meaning of the Chinese idiom (chengyu) 徒劳无功 (túláo wúgōng), which describes the frustrating experience of putting in significant effort for zero results. This page breaks down its characters, cultural context, and practical usage with 10 example sentences, helping you understand when your hard work has been “all for nothing” in Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): túláo wúgōng
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (成语) / Idiom (often functions as a verb or adjective)
• HSK Level: N/A (Advanced Chengyu)
• Concise Definition: To expend effort for nothing; to make a fruitless attempt.
• In a Nutshell: `徒劳无功` is the feeling you get after spending all night studying for an exam, only to find out it was postponed. It describes a situation where you've invested significant labor, time, or energy, but have achieved absolutely no success or positive outcome. It's the perfect phrase for “all that work for nothing.”

• 徒 (tú): In this context, this character means “in vain,” “for nothing,” or “futilely.”
• 劳 (láo): This means “to labor,” “to work,” “effort,” or “toil.” It signifies the exertion of energy.
• 无 (wú): A common character meaning “without,” “no,” or “-less.” It's a straightforward negation.
• 功 (gōng): This refers to “achievement,” “merit,” “result,” or “success.”

When combined, the characters create a literal and powerful meaning: “In vain (徒) to labor (劳) without (无) achievement (功).” The structure is direct and leaves no room for ambiguity: the work was done, but the results are nil.

`徒劳无功` taps into a deep-seated pragmatism in Chinese culture. While diligence and hard work (辛苦, xīnkǔ) are highly praised virtues, the ultimate goal of that work is to produce a tangible result. This idiom isn't just a statement of fact; it carries a heavy sense of disappointment and sometimes even criticism of poor planning. A useful comparison is with the Western phrase “It's the thought that counts.” This English expression offers consolation, suggesting that good intentions have value even in failure. `徒劳无功`, however, offers no such comfort. It is a blunt assessment of the outcome. If an effort was `徒劳无功`, the good intentions behind it are irrelevant to the final evaluation. The focus is entirely on the lack of a “功” (achievement). This highlights a cultural emphasis on effectiveness and results over mere intent.

This chengyu is common in both formal writing and educated speech. It's used to describe failed projects, ineffective strategies, and hopeless endeavors.

• In Business: A team might describe a marketing campaign that generated no new leads as `徒劳无功`.
• In Academics: A student might lament that cramming the wrong chapters for a test was `徒劳无功`.
• In Personal Life: You might use it to describe trying to reason with an incredibly stubborn person.

Its connotation is almost always negative, expressing frustration, regret, or a warning. While it's a classical idiom, it doesn't sound overly stuffy in everyday conversation among educated speakers when the situation calls for it.

• Example 1:
  • 如果我们没有一个明确的计划，我们所有的努力最终都会徒劳无功。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ wǒmen méiyǒu yīgè míngquè de jìhuà, wǒmen suǒyǒu de nǔlì zuìzhōng dūhuì túláo wúgōng.
  • English: If we don't have a clear plan, all of our efforts will ultimately be in vain.
  • Analysis: This is a common usage, serving as a warning about the importance of strategy and planning.
• Example 2:
  • 他试图修理那台旧电脑，但忙了半天还是徒劳无功，电脑根本无法启动。
  • Pinyin: Tā shìtú xiūlǐ nà tái jiù diànnǎo, dàn mángle bàntiān háishì túláo wúgōng, diànnǎo gēnběn wúfǎ qǐdòng.
  • English: He tried to fix that old computer, but after working on it for half the day, it was a fruitless effort; the computer simply wouldn't start.
  • Analysis: This example emphasizes a significant amount of time and effort (“忙了半天” - busy for half a day) leading to zero results.
• Example 3:
  • 救援队搜寻了三天，可惜最后还是徒劳无功，没有找到任何幸存者。
  • Pinyin: Jiùyuán duì sōuxúnle sāntiān, kěxī zuìhòu háishì túláo wúgōng, méiyǒu zhǎodào rènhé xìngcúnzhě.
  • English: The rescue team searched for three days, but unfortunately, it was all for nothing in the end; they didn't find any survivors.
  • Analysis: Here, the term conveys a sense of tragedy and deep disappointment despite immense effort.
• Example 4:
  • 我想说服他改变主意，但我知道这很可能是徒劳无功的。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng shuōfú tā gǎibiàn zhǔyì, dàn wǒ zhīdào zhè hěn kěnéng shì túláo wúgōng de.
  • English: I want to persuade him to change his mind, but I know it will most likely be a futile effort.
  • Analysis: Used here to predict failure. The “的” particle at the end turns the idiom into an adjective modifying “effort” (which is implied).
• Example 5:
  • 公司投入了大量资金开发新产品，结果市场反应冷淡，一切都徒劳无功。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī tóurùle dàliàng zījīn kāifā xīn chǎnpǐn, jiéguǒ shìchǎng fǎnyìng lěngdàn, yīqiè dōu túláo wúgōng.
  • English: The company invested a huge amount of capital to develop the new product, but the market reaction was lukewarm; it was all for nothing.
  • Analysis: A classic business context, highlighting wasted financial resources and effort.
• Example 6:
  • 你这样不看说明书就组装家具，只会是徒劳无功。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhèyàng bù kàn shuōmíngshū jiù zǔzhuāng jiājù, zhǐ huì shì túláo wúgōng.
  • English: Assembling furniture without reading the instructions like this will only be a fruitless effort.
  • Analysis: A direct piece of advice, criticizing an ineffective method that is doomed to fail.
• Example 7:
  • 尽管我们尽了最大努力，但面对强大的对手，我们的反击还是徒劳无功。
  • Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn wǒmen jìnle zuìdà nǔlì, dàn miàn duì qiángdà de duìshǒu, wǒmen de fǎnjí háishì túláo wúgōng.
  • English: Although we tried our best, our counter-attack was futile in the face of such a powerful opponent.
  • Analysis: This example shows that `徒劳无功` can be used even when maximum effort was applied, if the external circumstances made success impossible.
• Example 8:
  • 给一块石头浇水，希望它能开花，这纯粹是徒劳无功。
  • Pinyin: Gěi yīkuài shítou jiāo shuǐ, xīwàng tā néng kāihuā, zhè chúncuì shì túláo wúgōng.
  • English: Watering a rock and hoping it will blossom is purely a wasted effort.
  • Analysis: A metaphorical usage to describe an action that is inherently impossible and pointless.
• Example 9:
  • 我花了几个小时清理被墨水弄脏的白衬衫，结果徒劳无功，污渍还在。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ huāle jǐ gè xiǎoshí qīnglǐ bèi mòshuǐ nòng zāng de bái chènshān, jiéguǒ túláo wúgōng, wūzì hái zài.
  • English: I spent several hours trying to clean the ink-stained white shirt, but it was all for nothing; the stain is still there.
  • Analysis: A perfect everyday-life example that clearly communicates the concept: effort was made, but the desired result was not achieved.
• Example 10:
  • 历史告诉我们，试图阻止技术进步的尝试往往是徒劳无功的。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ gàosù wǒmen, shìtú zǔzhǐ jìshù jìnbù de chángshì wǎngwǎng shì túláo wúgōng de.
  • English: History tells us that attempts to stop technological progress are often futile.
  • Analysis: A formal, abstract usage suitable for essays, articles, or formal speeches.

• Effort is Key: The most common mistake is using `徒劳无功` for any simple failure. This term specifically implies that a significant amount of effort (`劳`) was expended. You wouldn't use it if you tried to open a jar for two seconds and failed. You would use it if you spent 20 minutes trying every trick to open the jar and still failed.
• False Friend: “Wild Goose Chase”: While similar, “a wild goose chase” in English often implies that the task was pointless or deceptive from the very beginning, like being sent to find something that doesn't exist. `徒劳无功` can describe a genuine, well-intentioned effort that simply failed to produce results due to difficulty, poor planning, or bad luck. The focus is on the outcome, not necessarily the absurdity of the initial task.
• Incorrect Usage:
  • `我忘了带钥匙，真是徒劳无功。` (Wǒ wàngle dài yàoshi, zhēnshi túláo wúgōng.)
  • Why it's wrong: Forgetting your keys is an act of omission, not a laborious effort that failed. It's an inconvenience, but no “劳” (labor) was performed. A better word would be `真倒霉` (zhēn dǎoméi - really unlucky) or `真麻烦` (zhēn máfan - what a hassle).

• 白费功夫 (báifèi gōngfu) - A more colloquial and very common synonym. Literally “to waste effort for nothing.” It's less formal than `徒劳无功`.
• 竹篮打水一场空 (zhú lán dǎ shuǐ yī chǎng kōng) - “Drawing water with a bamboo basket ends in emptiness.” A vivid and popular proverb (歇后语, xiēhòuyǔ) with the exact same meaning of futile effort.
• 无济于事 (wú jì yú shì) - “To be of no help to the matter.” Similar, but focuses on an action's inability to solve an existing problem, whereas `徒劳无功` focuses on an effort's inability to produce a new result.
• 前功尽弃 (qián gōng jìn qì) - “All previous achievements are completely abandoned/wasted.” This implies that there was success or progress at one point, but a later action caused all that progress to be lost.
• 付之东流 (fù zhī dōng liú) - “To commit it to the eastward-flowing stream.” A beautiful, literary way to say that all efforts have been washed away and come to nothing.
• 事倍功半 (shì bèi gōng bàn) - “To get half the result with twice the effort.” Describes high inefficiency, but not a total lack of results. This is a step before `徒劳无功`.
• 事半功倍 (shì bàn gōng bèi) - The direct antonym: “To get twice the result with half the effort.” Describes high efficiency and great success.