Chinese idiom · 成语
徒劳无功
Meaning
Vain toil, no merit; fruitless effort.
Character by character
Origin and story
Philosophical imageThe Zhuangzi's 'Revolution of Heaven' compares imposing unsuitable ancient practices on a different age to pushing a boat over dry land. Boats belong on water and carriages on roads; using the wrong means brings exertion without achievement. Its wording is 劳而无功, an antecedent rather than this exact four-character expression.
The complete phrase appears in later drama: the dictionary cites Bing Yu Yuan through Tong Su Chang Yan Shu Zheng, in a line fearing that ineffective medicine will make the effort fruitless. These usages concern work that fails to produce its intended result, not necessarily work done lazily or without good intentions.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
文件已经损坏，反复打开也只是徒劳无功。
The file is already corrupted; repeatedly trying to open it achieves nothing.
Effort that produces no useful result.