起早贪黑 qǐ zǎo tān hēi rise early and work late

Explanation

形容辛勤劳动，早起晚睡。

Describes diligent work, getting up early and going to bed late.

Origin Story

从前，在一个小山村里，住着一位名叫阿牛的年轻农民。他家境贫寒，父母年迈体弱，弟弟年幼，全家的生活重担都压在了他的肩上。为了养活家人，阿牛每天起早贪黑地劳作，从不偷懒。春天播种，夏天除草，秋天收割，冬天积肥，一年四季，他都在田间地头辛勤地忙碌着。他日出而作，日落而息，即使刮风下雨，也从不间断。他经常是披着满身的泥土，拖着疲惫的身躯回到家中。虽然生活很苦，但他从不抱怨，总是笑着面对一切，因为他知道，只要努力工作，就能给家人带来幸福的生活。他的勤劳和善良，赢得了村民们的一致赞赏。

cóngqián, zài yīgè xiǎoshān cūn lǐ, zhùzhe yī wèi míng jiào ā niú de niánqīng nóngmín。tā jiā jìng pín hán, fùmǔ niánmài tǐ ruò, dìdì niányòu, quán jiā de shēnghuó zhòngdān dōu yā zài le tā de jiānshang。wèile yǎnghuó jiārén, ā niú měitiān qǐ zǎo tān hēi de láozuò, cóng bù tōulǎn。chūntiān bōzhǒng, xiàtiān chúcǎo, qiūtiān shōugē, dōngtiān jīféi, yī nián sì jì, tā dōu zài tiánjiān dìtóu xīnqín de mánglùzhe。tā rì chū ér zuò, rì luò ér xī, jíshǐ guā fēng xiàyǔ, yě cóng bù jiànduàn。tā jīngcháng shì pīzhe mǎnshēn de ní tǔ, tuōzhe píbèi de shēnqū huí dào jiāzhōng。suīrán shēnghuó hěn kǔ, dàn tā cóng bù bàoyuàn, zǒngshì xiàozhe miànduì yīqiè, yīnwèi tā zhīdào, zhǐyào nǔlì gōngzuò, jiù néng gěi jiārén dài lái xìngfú de shēnghuó。tā de qínláo hé shànliáng, yíngdé le cūnmínmen de yīzhì zànshǎng。

Once upon a time, in a small mountain village, there lived a young farmer named Aniu. His family was poor, his parents were old and weak, and his younger brother was young. The whole burden of life rested on his shoulders. To support his family, Aniu worked from dawn till dusk every day and was never lazy. In the spring he sowed, in the summer he weeded, in the autumn he harvested, and in the winter he fertilized. In every season, he worked diligently in the fields. He rose with the sun and went to bed with the sun, even in wind and rain he never stopped. He often came home with dirty clothes and a tired body. Although his life was hard, he never complained and always met everything with a smile, because he knew that as long as he worked hard, he could give his family a happy life. His diligence and kindness earned him the admiration of the villagers.

Usage

作谓语、宾语；形容辛勤劳动。

zuò wèiyǔ, bǐnyǔ；xiāngxíng xīnqín láodòng。

As predicate, object; describes diligent work.

Examples

• 为了生活，他每天起早贪黑地工作。

  wèile shēnghuó, tā měitiān qǐ zǎo tān hēi de gōngzuò。

  He works from dawn till dusk every day for a living.

• 农民伯伯起早贪黑，辛勤劳作，才换来了丰收的喜悦。

  nóngmín bóbo qǐ zǎo tān hēi, xīnqín láozuò, cái huàn lái le fēngshōu de xǐyuè。

  Farmers work diligently from dawn till dusk, and only then do they enjoy the joy of harvest.

Related Idioms

• 夙兴夜寐

• 起早摸黑

Opposite Idioms

• 游手好闲

• 无所事事