呕心沥血

嘔心瀝血
ǒuxīnlìxuè
idiom #29,590

Meanings

  1. 1 to work one's heart out; to pour one's heart and soul into something
  2. 2 blood, sweat, and tears; painstaking effort

Examples

Tā wèi zhè běn shū ǒuxīnlìxuè, huā le shí nián shíjiān.
He poured his heart and soul into this book, spending ten years on it.
Lǎoshī ǒuxīnlìxuè de péiyǎng le yī pī yōuxiù xuéshēng.
The teacher dedicated herself wholeheartedly to nurturing a group of outstanding students.

Tips

memory
Literally 'vomit heart, drip blood' — such extreme effort that it costs you your very vitality. A visceral image of total creative or physical sacrifice.
usage
Used to describe laborious creative or intellectual work: writing, teaching, parenting, or artistic creation. Not used for physical labor jobs.

Stroke Order

ǒu
xīn
xuè