fèishí: 费时 - Time-consuming, To take a lot of time

• Keywords: 费时, fei shi, time-consuming in Chinese, takes a lot of time, Chinese adjective, Chinese verb, wasteful of time, Mandarin for time-consuming, 耗时, 费力, 费工夫
• Summary: Learn how to describe a task as “time-consuming” in Chinese with the essential word 费时 (fèi shí). This common term, acting as both a verb and an adjective, is used to describe any activity, project, or process that requires a significant amount of time. Understanding 费时 is key to expressing the practical challenges of a task, from cooking a complex meal to navigating bureaucracy. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural nuances, and provides practical examples to help you use it accurately in everyday conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fèi shí
• Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To take up a lot of time; to be time-consuming.
• In a Nutshell: 费时 (fèi shí) is the perfect word to use when you want to say something takes a long time to complete. It literally means “to spend/cost time.” It generally carries a neutral to slightly negative connotation, highlighting that time is a resource being used up. Think of it as the Chinese equivalent of saying, “That's going to take a while” or “That's a bit of a time-sink.”

• 费 (fèi): This character's primary meaning is “to spend,” “to cost,” or “to consume.” You can see the radical for money/shells (贝 bèi) at the bottom, which connects it to the idea of expending a valuable resource.
• 时 (shí): This character simply means “time” or “hour.” It's composed of the radical for sun (日 rì) on the left.
• When combined, 费时 (fèi shí) creates a very logical meaning: “to spend time” or “costly in terms of time.” It paints a clear picture of time being a resource that, like money, can be spent.

In Chinese culture, as in many others, time is viewed as a valuable, finite resource. The term 费时 reflects this pragmatic outlook. It's a common and practical descriptor for tasks that require patience and endurance. A key cultural distinction is how 费时 is perceived. In a fast-paced Western context, “time-consuming” is almost always a negative criticism, implying inefficiency. In China, while efficiency is also valued, 费时 can sometimes be a neutral, factual description of a process that is inherently slow but valuable. For example, preparing a traditional holiday feast is undoubtedly 费时, but the time spent is part of the cultural ritual and an expression of care for one's family. Similarly, traditional crafts like embroidery (刺绣 cìxiù) are praised for the skill they demonstrate, even though they are extremely 费时. So, while the term points to a high cost in time, it doesn't automatically mean the activity is a “waste of time.”

费时 is a versatile word used in both formal and informal settings.

• As an Adjective: It's often used after a noun, usually with an adverb like 很 (hěn), 非常 (fēicháng), or 太 (tài).
  • “This method is too time-consuming.” → 这个方法太费时了 (Zhège fāngfǎ tài fèi shí le).
• As a Verb: It can act as a verb meaning “to take time.”
  • “Don't spend time on such trivial matters.” → 别为这种小事费时了 (Bié wèi zhè zhǒng xiǎoshì fèi shí le).
• Connotation: The connotation is generally neutral to slightly negative. It's a statement of fact that points out a drawback. If you want to strongly criticize something as a pointless waste of time, you would use 浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān).
• Common Pairing: It is frequently paired with 费力 (fèi lì - laborious) to form the four-character phrase 费时费力 (fèi shí fèi lì), meaning “time-consuming and energy-consuming.”

• Example 1:
  • 准备这顿饭非常费时，但我希望大家喜欢。
  • Pinyin: Zhǔnbèi zhè dùn fàn fēicháng fèi shí, dàn wǒ xīwàng dàjiā xǐhuān.
  • English: Preparing this meal was very time-consuming, but I hope everyone likes it.
  • Analysis: Here, 费时 describes a process that took a long time but was done for a worthwhile reason. The connotation is neutral.
• Example 2:
  • 申请这个签证的手续又费时又复杂。
  • Pinyin: Shēnqǐng zhège qiānzhèng de shǒuxù yòu fèi shí yòu fùzá.
  • English: The procedure for applying for this visa is both time-consuming and complicated.
  • Analysis: A classic complaint about bureaucracy. The negative connotation is stronger here, implying frustration.
• Example 3:
  • 我们得找一个不那么费时的解决方案。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen děi zhǎo yīgè bù nàme fèi shí de jiějué fāng'àn.
  • English: We need to find a less time-consuming solution.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in a business or project management context, highlighting the need for efficiency.
• Example 4:
  • 学一门新语言很费时，需要很多耐心。
  • Pinyin: Xué yī mén xīn yǔyán hěn fèi shí, xūyào hěnduō nàixīn.
  • English: Learning a new language is very time-consuming and requires a lot of patience.
  • Analysis: A neutral, factual statement about the investment required for a long-term goal.
• Example 5:
  • 组装这个家具太费时了，说明书也看不懂。
  • Pinyin: Zǔzhuāng zhège jiājù tài fèi shí le, shuōmíngshū yě kàn bù dǒng.
  • English: Assembling this furniture is too time-consuming, and I can't understand the manual either.
  • Analysis: A common everyday complaint. The use of 太 (tài) emphasizes the negative feeling.
• Example 6:
  • 这种传统手工艺品，制作起来相当费时。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng chuántǒng shǒugōngyìpǐn, zhìzuò qǐlái xiāngdāng fèi shí.
  • English: This kind of traditional handicraft is quite time-consuming to make.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes the nature of craftsmanship. 费时 here implies a high level of dedication and skill, not necessarily a bad thing.
• Example 7:
  • 为了一个小错误而争论不休，实在太费时了。
  • Pinyin: Wèile yīgè xiǎo cuòwù ér zhēnglùn bùxiū, shízài tài fèi shí le.
  • English: It's really too time-consuming to argue endlessly over a small mistake.
  • Analysis: Here, 费时 is used to criticize an activity as being unproductive.
• Example 8:
  • 他不想用这种费时的方法，觉得效率太低。
  • Pinyin: Tā bùxiǎng yòng zhè zhǒng fèi shí de fāngfǎ, juédé xiàolǜ tài dī.
  • English: He doesn't want to use this time-consuming method; he feels the efficiency is too low.
  • Analysis: 费时 is used as an adjective to modify “method” (方法) and is presented as a clear disadvantage.
• Example 9:
  • 这个项目费时六个月才最终完成。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù fèi shí liù gè yuè cái zuìzhōng wánchéng.
  • English: This project took six months to finally be completed.
  • Analysis: In this structure, 费时 acts as a verb, followed directly by the amount of time spent. This is a common and very useful pattern.
• Example 10:
  • 虽然过程有点费时，但结果是值得的。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán guòchéng yǒudiǎn fèi shí, dànshì jiéguǒ shì zhídé de.
  • English: Although the process was a bit time-consuming, the result was worth it.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly captures the nuance. It acknowledges the high time cost but affirms the value of the outcome.

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 费时 (fèi shí) with 浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān).

• 费时 (fèi shí) = Time-consuming: This is often a neutral observation about a task that simply requires a lot of time. The time spent could be for a very valuable outcome.
  • Correct: 熬一锅好汤很费时。(Áo yī guō hǎo tāng hěn fèi shí.) - Simmering a good soup is time-consuming. (A neutral fact)
• 浪费时间 (làngfèi shíjiān) = To waste time: This is strongly negative. It implies the time was spent for no good reason, with a poor or useless result. It's a harsh criticism.
  • Correct: 跟他吵架就是浪费时间。(Gēn tā chǎojià jiùshì làngfèi shíjiān.) - Arguing with him is just a waste of time.

Think of it this way: Building a ship is 费时, but watching pointless videos for hours is 浪费时间. Using 浪费时间 to describe building a ship would imply the entire endeavor was a mistake.

• 耗时 (hào shí) - A very close synonym for 费时, meaning “to consume time.” It is often considered slightly more formal or literary.
• 费力 (fèi lì) - “Laborious; to consume effort.” This describes something that is physically or mentally taxing. It is the most common partner to 费时 in the phrase 费时费力 (time-consuming and laborious).
• 费工夫 (fèi gōngfu) - “To take effort/skill.” Similar to 费时费力, but can also emphasize the need for intricate skill (工夫 gōngfu).
• 省时 (shěng shí) - The direct antonym of 费时, meaning “to save time; time-saving.”
• 花时间 (huā shíjiān) - “To spend time.” This is a neutral verb phrase and lacks the slightly negative, “costly” connotation of 费时. You can “花时间” on a hobby, which is a positive thing.
• 效率 (xiàolǜ) - “Efficiency.” The goal of avoiding tasks that are unnecessarily 费时 is to improve 效率.
• 麻烦 (máfan) - “Troublesome; inconvenient.” A task that is 麻烦 is almost always also 费时 and 费力.
• 浪费 (làngfèi) - “To waste.” The root verb in 浪费时间. It can also be used for wasting money (浪费钱), food (浪费粮食), and other resources.