积劳成疾

積勞成疾
jīláo-chéngjí
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to fall ill from accumulated overwork
  2. 2 to work oneself sick

Examples

HSK 2
Lǎoshī jīláo-chéngjí, zhù jìn le yīyuàn.
The teacher worked himself sick and was hospitalized.
HSK 4
Tā duōnián jiābān, zuìzhōng jīláo-chéngjí.
After years of overtime, he finally fell ill from exhaustion.
HSK 4
Wèile zhàogù jiātíng, tā jīláo-chéngjí.
In caring for her family, she worked herself ill.

Tips

history
The structure … ('accumulate … into …') draws on 《荀子·王制彼日积劳. The idiom was fixed in 《东周列国志》 (Ming dynasty, Feng Menglong): 公孙归生积劳成病,卧不能起 - 'Gongsun Guisheng fell ill from accumulated toil and could not rise'.
usage
Respectful and somber - typically used about someone who has sacrificed health for work or family. Not for self-aggrandizing complaints about being tired.

Stroke Order

láo
chéng