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工夫

gōngfu
noun HSK 3 #9,726

Meanings

  1. 1 time (spent); effort
  2. 2 skill; workmanship (variant of 功夫)

Characters

工
gōng
work; labor; skill
夫
fu
man; husband
Literally 'work-man' — refers to time spent or effort invested. Often interchangeable with 功夫 (gōngfu), though 工夫 emphasizes spare time/effort while 功夫 emphasizes martial arts skill.

Examples

这件事要花很多工夫。
Zhè jiàn shì yào huā hěnduō gōngfu.
This matter requires a lot of effort.
我没有工夫去。
Wǒ méiyǒu gōngfu qù.
I don't have time to go.
他在这上面下了不少工夫。
Tā zài zhè shàngmian xià le bùshǎo gōngfu.
He put a lot of effort into this.

Tips

usage
工夫 vs 功夫: In modern usage they overlap, but 工夫 leans toward 'time/effort' while 功夫 leans toward 'skill/martial arts.' 下工夫 = to put in effort.
culture
工夫茶 (gōngfu chá) is the traditional Chinese tea ceremony — it takes 'time and skill' to prepare properly. Especially popular in Fujian and Guangdong.

Stroke Order

工 gōng
夫 fū