phí sức

Giải thích với anh ta chỉ là phí sức thôi.

Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To waste one's strength/energy/effort: To expend physical or mental effort in a manner that is unproductive, unnecessary, or yields no useful result. It implies a futile or inefficient use of one's capabilities.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Giải thích với anh ta chỉ là phí sức thôi. (Explaining to him is just a waste of energy.)
  • Đừng phí sức tranh cãi về chuyện nhỏ nhặt đó. (Don't waste your effort arguing about that trivial matter.)
  • Chạy bộ mà không ăn uống điều độ thì phí sức. (Running without a proper diet is a waste of your strength.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a tone of advice or warning against futile actions. It can be used in both literal (physical exertion) and figurative (mental/emotional effort) contexts.
• It can be used reflexively as "phí sức mình" (to waste one's own energy).

Variants and Related Words

• Phí công (verb phrase): To waste one's work/effort. Often used interchangeably with "phí sức," though "phí công" can emphasize wasted time and labor on a task.
  • Làm lại từ đầu thì phí công lắm. (Starting over would waste so much effort.)

Synonyms

• To waste effort: To use energy or time inefficiently.
• To exert oneself in vain: To put in physical or mental work without achieving the desired outcome.
• To labor in vain: To work hard without any fruitful result.

Related Idioms

• Phí sức vô ích: To waste energy uselessly/to no avail. This is an emphatic form of the base phrase.
  • Cố gắng thay đổi người khác thường là phí sức vô ích. (Trying to change others is often a useless waste of energy.)