Meaning of 功夫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- skill
- art
- kung fu
- labor
- effort
How to use 功夫
In everyday Chinese, 功夫 often means the time and effort spent on something, not just martial arts. 他在学中文上下了很多功夫。(Tā zài xué Zhōngwén shàng xià le hěn duō gōngfu.) He put a lot of effort into learning Chinese. It can also praise someone's skill, as in 功夫很好 (gōngfu hěn hǎo), meaning very skilled.
功 (gōng) means merit or achievement, and 夫 (fū) is a man. Picture a man who earns his achievements through long effort, and you get 功夫: skill built by hard work.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 功夫 with 工夫 (gōngfu), which sounds the same. 工夫 usually means free time, as in 没工夫 (méi gōngfu, no time), while 功夫 stresses skill and effort.
功夫 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
功 gōng · meritorious deed or service · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
夫 fū · man · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 功夫.
| 成功 | chénggōng | to succeed; success |
| 大夫 | dàifu | senior official (in imperial China) |
| 功能 | gōngnéng | function; capability |
| 功课 | gōngkè | homework; assignment |
| 工夫 | gōngfu | (old) laborer |
| 夫人 | fūrén | lady; madam |
| 丈夫 | zhàngfu | husband |
| 夫妇 | fūfù | a (married) couple; husband and wife |
| 夫妻 | fūqī | husband and wife; married couple |
| 功劳 | gōngláo | contribution; meritorious service |
| 高尔夫球 | gāo'ěrfūqiú | golf; golf ball |
| 用功 | yònggōng | diligent; industrious (in one's studies) |
Questions about 功夫
What does 功夫 mean?
功夫 (gōngfu) means "skill; art" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 功夫?
功夫 is made of 2 characters: 功 (5 strokes), 夫 (4 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 功夫 an HSK word?
Yes. 功夫 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 功夫 only about martial arts?
No. Kung fu is one meaning, but Chinese speakers also use 功夫 for any skill or effort, like cooking skill or study effort. Context tells you which sense is meant.
What does 下功夫 mean?
下功夫 (xià gōngfu) means to put in real effort or work hard on something. You can say 在……上下功夫 to name what you are working on.