xiāohào: 消耗 - To Consume, Expend, Use Up

• Keywords: xiaohao, xiao hao, 消耗, consume in Chinese, expend Chinese, use up in Chinese, Chinese word for consumption, deplete in Chinese, HSK 5, Chinese verb, xiaohao meaning.
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of the Chinese word 消耗 (xiāohào), which translates to “consume,” “expend,” or “use up.” This guide covers its character breakdown, cultural context, and practical examples, explaining how 消耗 (xiāohào) differs from the English word “consume” by emphasizing a sense of depletion, whether it's energy, resources, or time. It is a key HSK 5 vocabulary word.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xiāo hào
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To use up or expend resources, energy, or time, often leading to depletion.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 消耗 (xiāohào) as the process of a battery draining. It’s more than just “using” something; it's about the gradual reduction of a finite supply. It can apply to concrete things like fuel and food, or abstract concepts like patience and mental energy. The core feeling is one of depletion and reduction.

• 消 (xiāo): To disappear, eliminate, or dissolve. The radical 氵 (shuǐ) on the left is the “water” radical, suggesting something being washed away or fading.
• 耗 (hào): To consume, waste, or cost. The radical 耒 (lěi) on the left represents an ancient plow, invoking the image of the immense effort and energy required for farming.
• The characters combine to paint a vivid picture: 消耗 (xiāohào) is the process of something being consumed (耗) until it disappears (消). It's a powerful term that captures the essence of gradual depletion.

While 消耗 (xiāohào) doesn't have deep philosophical roots like `道 (dào)` or `气 (qì)`, its usage is colored by traditional Chinese values of frugality and avoiding waste (`不浪费 bù làngfèi`). 消耗 is often viewed with a slightly negative or cautionary lens. It represents a cost, a necessary expenditure that should be minimized if possible. A useful comparison is with the English word “consume.” In Western, particularly American culture, “to consume” is often a neutral or even positive act. We are a “consumer society,” we “consume content,” and we buy “consumer goods.” The act is central to the economy and daily life. In contrast, 消耗 (xiāohào) carries a stronger sense of loss. It's the “cost” side of the equation. You 消耗 fuel to drive your car, you 消耗 energy to exercise, and you 消耗 patience in a difficult negotiation. The focus is on what is being lost or depleted in the process, not on the act of consumption itself. This reflects a cultural mindset that is often more conscious of resource limits and the cost of any action.

消耗 (xiāohào) is a versatile word used in many modern contexts, from daily conversation to technical fields.

• Physical Energy and Health: This is one of the most common uses. It's used to talk about burning calories, using physical strength, or being mentally drained.
  • e.g., `消耗体力 (xiāohào tǐlì)` - to expend physical strength.
  • e.g., `消耗卡路里 (xiāohào kǎlùlǐ)` - to burn calories.
• Resources and Materials: It is widely used to describe the consumption of tangible resources like electricity, fuel, and supplies.
  • e.g., `消耗能源 (xiāohào néngyuán)` - to consume energy resources.
  • e.g., `消耗品 (xiāohàopǐn)` - consumables, disposable goods (like ink cartridges or paper towels).
• Abstract Concepts: 消耗 can be used for intangible things that can be “used up,” like time, patience, or emotional energy.
  • e.g., `消耗时间 (xiāohào shíjiān)` - to use up/waste time.
  • e.g., `消耗耐心 (xiāohào nàixīn)` - to wear out one's patience.
• Military and Strategy: In a formal context, it's used to describe attrition.
  • e.g., `消耗战 (xiāohàozhàn)` - a war of attrition.
  • e.g., `消耗敌人 (xiāohào dírén)` - to wear down the enemy.

The connotation is generally neutral to slightly negative, as it highlights a cost or a drain. It is a relatively formal word but is understood and used in everyday contexts, especially when discussing health, resources, or effort.

• Example 1:
  • 长跑消耗了我们大量的体力。
  • Pinyin: Chángpǎo xiāohào le wǒmen dàliàng de tǐlì.
  • English: The long-distance run consumed a great deal of our physical strength.
  • Analysis: A classic example showing the depletion of a personal resource (physical strength).
• Example 2:
  • 这台旧空调太消耗电了，我们应该换一台新的。
  • Pinyin: Zhè tái jiù kōngtiáo tài xiāohào diàn le, wǒmen yīnggāi huàn yī tái xīn de.
  • English: This old air conditioner consumes too much electricity; we should get a new one.
  • Analysis: Here, 消耗 is used for a utility (electricity) and carries a negative connotation of inefficiency.
• Example 3:
  • 和他沟通太消耗精力了，他总是不明白重点。
  • Pinyin: Hé tā gōutōng tài xiāohào jīnglì le, tā zǒngshì bù míngbái zhòngdiǎn.
  • English: Communicating with him is too mentally draining; he never gets the point.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the use of 消耗 for an abstract concept, “mental energy” (`精力`). It perfectly captures the feeling of being tired out by a conversation.
• Example 4:
  • 无休止的争论消耗了我的所有耐心。
  • Pinyin: Wúxiūzhǐ de zhēnglùn xiāohào le wǒ de suǒyǒu nàixīn.
  • English: The endless arguments wore out all of my patience.
  • Analysis: “Patience” (`耐心`) is another abstract resource that can be depleted. 消耗 is the perfect verb for this situation.
• Example 5:
  • 游泳是消耗卡路里的好运动。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyǒng shì xiāohào kǎlùlǐ de hǎo yùndòng.
  • English: Swimming is a good sport for burning calories.
  • Analysis: In a health and fitness context, 消耗 is the standard term for “burning” calories. Here the outcome is positive, even though the word itself focuses on the expenditure.
• Example 6:
  • 战争消耗了国家的大量资源。
  • Pinyin: Zhànzhēng xiāohào le guójiā de dàliàng zīyuán.
  • English: The war consumed a large amount of the country's resources.
  • Analysis: A formal usage referring to the depletion of national resources (`资源`), common in news and historical texts.
• Example 7:
  • 打印机的墨盒是常见的消耗品。
  • Pinyin: Dǎyìnjī de mòhé shì chángjiàn de xiāohàopǐn.
  • English: Printer ink cartridges are common consumables.
  • Analysis: This shows the noun form, `消耗品 (xiāohàopǐn)`, which refers to any item that is designed to be used up and replaced.
• Example 8:
  • 不要把时间消耗在没有意义的事情上。
  • Pinyin: Búyào bǎ shíjiān xiāohào zài méiyǒu yìyì de shìqíng shàng.
  • English: Don't waste your time on meaningless things.
  • Analysis: When used with time, 消耗 is very similar to “waste” (`浪费`), but it can sometimes be more neutral, simply meaning “to spend” time. The negative sense here comes from the context.
• Example 9:
  • 多年的异地恋慢慢消耗了他们的感情。
  • Pinyin: Duōnián de yìdìliàn mànmàn xiāohào le tāmen de gǎnqíng.
  • English: Years of a long-distance relationship slowly drained their affection for each other.
  • Analysis: A powerful, emotional use of the word. It implies that their love/affection (`感情`) was a finite resource that was gradually used up by the difficulty of the situation.
• Example 10:
  • 我们的目标是消耗敌人的弹药，而不是正面攻击。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de mùbiāo shì xiāohào dírén de dànyào, ér búshì zhèngmiàn gōngjī.
  • English: Our objective is to deplete the enemy's ammunition, not to launch a frontal assault.
  • Analysis: A strategic, military use of 消耗, highlighting the goal of resource depletion as a tactic.

• 消耗 (xiāohào) vs. 用 (yòng): This is a critical distinction. `用 (yòng)` means “to use” in a general, neutral sense. You `用` a tool, a computer, or a pen. 消耗 (xiāohào) means to use something *up*.
  • Correct: 我用电脑工作。 (Wǒ yòng diànnǎo gōngzuò.) - I use a computer for work.
  • Incorrect: 我消耗电脑工作。 - This sounds like your work is physically destroying the computer.
  • You 用 a pen to write, but the process 消耗s the ink.
• 消耗 (xiāohào) vs. 消费 (xiāofèi): `消费 (xiāofèi)` specifically refers to economic consumption—spending money on goods and services. 消耗 refers to the depletion of any resource, monetary or not.
  • Correct: 中国的消费市场很大。(Zhōngguó de xiāofèi shìchǎng hěn dà.) - China's consumer market is very large.
  • Correct: 这次旅行消耗了我很多精力。(Zhè cì lǚxíng xiāohào le wǒ hěn duō jīnglì.) - This trip used up a lot of my energy.
  • You can't switch them. You don't `消耗` money (you `花` or `消费` it), and you don't `消费` your energy.
• Common Pitfall: Don't overuse 消耗 for every instance of “use.” Remember its core meaning of depletion. Saying `我消耗了一本书` is incorrect; it sounds like you burned the book. You should say `我看完了一本书` (I finished reading a book). The reading process 消耗s your time and energy, but not the book itself.

• 消费 (xiāofèi) - To consume in an economic sense; to spend money. The focus is on the transaction.
• 浪费 (làngfèi) - To waste. This is more negative than 消耗, implying careless or pointless use. You 消耗 gas to drive to work, but you 浪费 gas if you leave the car running for no reason.
• 用完 (yòng wán) - To use up completely. This is a resultative verb that focuses on the end state (it's all gone). 消耗 describes the *process* of using it up.
• 花费 (huāfèi) - To spend (time, money, effort). Often overlaps with 消耗 for abstract things like time and energy, but is the more common word for spending money.
• 耗尽 (hàojìn) - To exhaust completely; to run out of. This is a stronger, more final version of 消耗. It means the resource is now totally gone.
• 磨损 (mósǔn) - To wear down; wear and tear. Describes physical depletion through friction, like brake pads or the soles of shoes.
• 精力 (jīnglì) - Mental energy; vigor. A very common object for the verb 消耗.
• 体力 (tǐlì) - Physical strength; stamina. Another very common resource that gets 消耗ed.
• 消耗品 (xiāohàopǐn) - Consumables; disposable goods. A noun directly derived from the verb.