Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Hard, laborious, arduous: Describes work, a task, or physical labor that requires great effort, is physically demanding, and is often exhausting.
   • Heavy, burdensome: Conveys a sense of something being weighty, difficult to bear, or causing fatigue, not just physically but sometimes mentally.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Công việc này rất nặng nhọc. (This job is very hard/laborious.)
  • Anh ấy đã trải qua một ngày làm việc nặng nhọc. (He went through a day of arduous work.)
  • Đó là một nghề nặng nhọc nhưng đáng tự hào. (That is a burdensome but proud profession.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe not just physical work but also metaphorical burdens.
  • Gánh nặng nhọc trách nhiệm đè lên vai anh. (The heavy burden of responsibility weighed on his shoulders.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nặng nề (adj): Heavy, severe, grave. Often used for serious situations or heavy atmospheres, overlapping with 'nặng nhọc' in describing burdens.
  • Bầu không khí trong phòng thật nặng nề. (The atmosphere in the room was very heavy.)
• Vất vả (adj): Hard, difficult, toilsome. Very close in meaning, often emphasizing the struggle and hardship involved.
  • Cuộc sống của họ còn nhiều vất vả. (Their life still has many hardships.)

Synonyms

• Arduous: Involving strenuous effort.
• Laborious: Requiring considerable work and effort.
• Strenuous: Requiring great energy or exertion.
• Toilsome: Involving hard or exhausting work.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Chân lấm tay bùn: Literally "muddy feet and dirty hands," describing someone engaged in hard, manual labor. This idiom illustrates the state resulting from 'nặng nhọc' work.
  • Họ làm việc chân lấm tay bùn để nuôi sống gia đình. (They work with muddy feet and dirty hands to support their family.)
• Đổ mồ hôi sôi nước mắt: Literally "to shed sweat and tears," emphasizing the extreme effort and sacrifice in hard work.
  • Thành công này là do cả một quá trình đổ mồ hôi sôi nước mắt. (This success comes from a whole process of shedding sweat and tears.)

adj

1. hard
   • công việc nặng nhọc
     hard work