máitóu kǔgàn: 埋头苦干 - To bury one's head and work hard; to be engrossed in hard work

• Keywords: 埋头苦干, máitóu kǔgàn, Chinese idiom for hard work, Chinese work ethic, bury your head and work, diligent, hardworking in Chinese, perseverance, stoic work, Chinese chengyu, Contextual Chinese
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 埋头苦干 (máitóu kǔgàn), a cornerstone Chinese idiom (chengyu) that vividly describes the act of burying one's head to toil away without distraction. This entry explores its cultural significance within the Chinese work ethic, its practical use in modern contexts from business to daily life, and how it differs from Western ideas of “working smart.” Learn to use this term to describe deep, focused, and persistent effort.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): máitóu kǔgàn
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (四字成语), Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK Level 6 / Advanced
• Concise Definition: To immerse oneself in hard work, often quietly and without seeking recognition.
• In a Nutshell: 埋头苦干 (máitóu kǔgàn) paints a powerful picture. Imagine someone physically lowering their head (埋头, mái tóu - to bury head) to focus intensely on a task, enduring hardship and toil (苦干, kǔ gàn - to work bitterly/hard). It’s about blocking out the world and just grinding away, driven by a sense of duty and perseverance rather than a desire for immediate praise.

• 埋 (mái): To bury or to cover. Think of burying a seed in the ground.
• 头 (tóu): Head. The center of thought and focus.
• 苦 (kǔ): Bitter, hardship, toilsome. This character adds the sense of enduring difficulty.
• 干 (gàn): To do, to work, to get things done.

Together, these characters create the literal and figurative image of “burying one's head in bitter work.” This isn't just working; it's a deep, all-consuming focus that ignores external distractions and embraces the difficulty of the task.

埋头苦干 (máitóu kǔgàn) is more than just an idiom; it’s a cultural value. It represents the traditional Chinese virtue of diligence, humility, and perseverance. In a society that has historically valued collective contribution over individual showmanship, the person who quietly toils for the good of the family, company, or country is highly respected. A useful comparison is with the Western mantra, “Work smart, not hard.” While Western business culture often prizes efficiency, innovation, and finding shortcuts, 埋头苦干 celebrates the sheer power of effort and endurance. It doesn't necessarily imply a lack of intelligence, but it prioritizes relentless application and grit. The “smart” part is secondary to the “hard” part. A person who 埋头苦干 is seen as reliable, down-to-earth, and steadfast—they get the job done through sheer force of will, even if it's not the most glamorous or efficient way. This value is rooted in an agrarian past where enduring the hardship of farm work was essential for survival and prosperity. Today, it’s often invoked to praise dedicated scientists, diligent students, and tireless workers who form the backbone of the economy.

The term remains extremely common and is generally positive, though its connotation can shift slightly with context.

• As Praise: This is the most common usage. It's high praise for an employee, student, or researcher. It implies they are dedicated, focused, and not a “slacker.”
• As Self-Description: A person might say they need to 埋头苦干 to express their determination to finish a difficult project. It shows humility and a strong work ethic.
• With a Slightly Negative Nuance: In some modern business contexts, it can subtly imply that a person works hard but isn't good at office politics, networking, or self-promotion. They have their “head buried” and may miss opportunities happening around them. It can describe someone who is a great worker but perhaps not a strategic leader.

• Example 1:
  • 他这个人不爱说话，就是喜欢埋头苦干。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén bú ài shuōhuà, jiùshì xǐhuān máitóu kǔgàn.
  • English: He's not a very talkative person; he just likes to bury his head and work hard.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, positive description of a quiet and diligent colleague or worker. It frames their lack of talkativeness as a virtue of focus.
• Example 2:
  • 为了通过考试，我这几个月只能埋头苦干。
  • Pinyin: Wèile tōngguò kǎoshì, wǒ zhè jǐ gè yuè zhǐnéng máitóu kǔgàn.
  • English: In order to pass the exam, I can only immerse myself in hard study for the next few months.
  • Analysis: Here, the speaker uses it to describe their own planned course of action. It implies a period of intense, focused effort with no time for distractions.
• Example 3:
  • 我们的成功不是靠运气，而是靠团队多年的埋头苦干。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de chénggōng búshì kào yùnqì, ér shì kào tuánduì duōnián de máitóu kǔgàn.
  • English: Our success didn't come from luck, but from the team's many years of dedicated, hard work.
  • Analysis: This example uses the term as a noun phrase (“years of hard work”) to attribute success to persistent effort over a long period.
• Example 4:
  • 李教授一辈子埋头苦干，在学术上取得了巨大成就。
  • Pinyin: Lǐ jiàoshòu yībèizi máitóu kǔgàn, zài xuéshù shàng qǔdéle jùdà chéngjiù.
  • English: Professor Li was engrossed in his work his whole life and made huge academic achievements.
  • Analysis: This is used to praise the lifelong dedication of a respected professional. It connects their quiet perseverance directly to their success.
• Example 5:
  • 别再抱怨了，我们还是埋头苦干，先把项目完成吧。
  • Pinyin: Bié zài bàoyuàn le, wǒmen háishì máitóu kǔgàn, xiān bǎ xiàngmù wánchéng ba.
  • English: Stop complaining. Let's just get our heads down and finish the project first.
  • Analysis: This is a call to action, urging others to stop talking and start working. It emphasizes action over words.
• Example 6:
  • 在这个行业，光知道埋头苦干是不够的，你还得学会推销自己。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhège hángyè, guāng zhīdào máitóu kǔgàn shì bùgòu de, nǐ hái děi xuéhuì tuīxiāo zìjǐ.
  • English: In this industry, just knowing how to work hard isn't enough; you also have to learn how to promote yourself.
  • Analysis: This example highlights the potential downside or limitation of the 埋头苦干 approach in the modern workplace.
• Example 7:
  • 他父亲总是教导他，做人要脚踏实地，埋头苦干。
  • Pinyin: Tā fùqīn zǒngshì jiàodǎo tā, zuòrén yào jiǎotàshídì, máitóu kǔgàn.
  • English: His father always taught him that to be a good person, you have to be down-to-earth and work hard.
  • Analysis: This shows the term being passed down as a core family value, often paired with another idiom like `脚踏实地 (jiǎotàshídì)`.
• Example 8:
  • 那个年代的科学家们，就是在艰苦的条件下埋头苦干，才有了我们今天的成就。
  • Pinyin: Nàge niándài de kēxuéjiāmen, jiùshì zài jiānkǔ de tiáojiàn xià máitóu kǔgàn, cái yǒule wǒmen jīntiān de chéngjiù.
  • English: The scientists of that era worked diligently under harsh conditions, which is how we have the achievements of today.
  • Analysis: This sentence has a historical and respectful tone, used to praise the contributions of a previous generation.
• Example 9:
  • 只会埋头苦干的员工很难得到提升。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐ huì máitóu kǔgàn de yuángōng hěn nán dédào tíshēng.
  • English: Employees who only know how to grind away at work will find it hard to get promoted.
  • Analysis: A direct and critical take, expressing the modern business reality that visibility and communication are also key to career advancement.
• Example 10:
  • 新的一年，我要少玩手机，多埋头苦干，争取更好的成绩。
  • Pinyin: Xīn de yī nián, wǒ yào shǎo wán shǒujī, duō máitóu kǔgàn, zhēngqǔ gèng hǎo de chéngjì.
  • English: In the new year, I will play on my phone less and focus on working hard more, striving for better results.
  • Analysis: Used as a New Year's resolution, contrasting 埋头苦干 directly with modern distractions like smartphones.

• Mistake 1: Confusing it with simply “working hard” (努力, nǔlì).
  • While related, 埋头苦干 is much more specific. `努力 (nǔlì)` is a general term for effort. You can `努力` to network or `努力` to give a presentation. 埋头苦干 specifically means working on a task with your head down, shutting out the world. You cannot `埋头苦干` to network, as that requires looking up and talking to people.
  • Incorrect: 他很会跟客户聊天，真是个埋头苦干的销售。 (Tā hěn huì gēn kèhù liáotiān, zhēnshì ge máitóu kǔgàn de xiāoshòu.) → He's great at chatting with clients, a real “bury-your-head-and-work-hard” salesman.
  • Why it's wrong: The action of chatting with clients is the opposite of “burying your head.”
• Mistake 2: Using it for “smart” or “efficient” work.
  • 埋头苦干 carries a connotation of brute-force effort and endurance. If someone finds a clever way to finish a week's work in an hour, you wouldn't describe them with this idiom. You'd be more likely to say `他很聪明 (tā hěn cōngmíng)` (he's very smart) or `他效率很高 (tā xiàolǜ hěn gāo)` (he's very efficient). This idiom is for the person who stays until midnight manually checking every line of code.

• 努力 (nǔlì) - The most common and general term for “to try hard” or “make an effort.” 埋头苦干 is a specific way of being `努力`.
• 勤奋 (qínfèn) - Diligent; industrious. A personal quality. Someone who is `勤奋` is likely to 埋头苦干.
• 废寝忘食 (fèiqǐnwàngshí) - Lit. “to neglect sleep and forget to eat.” An idiom describing such extreme focus on a task that one forgets basic needs. This is often the state of someone who is 埋头苦干.
• 任劳任怨 (rènláorènyuàn) - To bear hardship and resentment without complaint. Describes the stoic attitude often associated with a person who 埋头苦干.
• 脚踏实地 (jiǎotàshídì) - Lit. “to have one's feet planted firmly on the ground.” It means to be practical, down-to-earth, and not chasing fantasies. This mindset often leads to 埋头苦干.
• 默默无闻 (mòmòwúwén) - To be unknown to the public; an unsung hero. Describes the state of someone who 埋头苦干 without seeking fame or recognition.
• 加班 (jiābān) - To work overtime. In modern China, `加班` is a very common, concrete manifestation of the 埋头苦干 spirit.
• 996 (jiǔjiǔliù) - The “9am to 9pm, 6 days a week” work schedule. A controversial and extreme modern version of the 埋头苦干 culture, often seen in the tech industry.