Keywords: túláo, 徒劳, Chinese word for futile, in vain in Chinese, fruitless effort, pointless work, wasted effort, 徒劳无功, what does tulao mean, how to use tulao.
Summary: Discover the meaning of 徒劳 (túláo), a powerful Chinese term for any effort that is futile, fruitless, or done in vain. This page breaks down the characters, explores the cultural weight of wasted effort, and provides over ten practical example sentences to show you how to use túláo to describe actions that yield no results, from business to personal life. Learn the difference between túláo and similar words to avoid common mistakes.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): túláo
Part of Speech: Adverb, Adjective
HSK Level: HSK 6
Concise Definition: Describes an action or effort that is done in vain, yielding no result.
In a Nutshell:徒劳 (túláo) is the word for the feeling you get after pouring significant effort into something, only to see it accomplish nothing. Imagine trying to fill a bucket with a large hole in it—all the work of carrying the water is 徒劳. It emphasizes the complete lack of a desired outcome despite the energy expended.
Character Breakdown
徒 (tú): While this character can mean “disciple” or “follower” (like in 徒弟, túdì), its relevant meaning here is “empty,” “bare,” or “for nothing.” Think of “bare-handed” (徒手, túshǒu). It implies an emptiness or lack of substance.
劳 (láo): This character clearly means “labor,” “work,” “toil,” or “effort.”
The two characters combine literally to mean “empty labor.” This is a perfect and intuitive way to understand the word: all the work and toil amounted to nothing.
Cultural Context and Significance
In Chinese culture, which often values pragmatism and tangible results, the concept of 徒劳 carries a significant weight. Wasting effort is not just inefficient; it can be seen as a deeply regrettable, almost tragic, outcome. It runs contrary to the ideal of using one's time and energy wisely to achieve a goal, whether for the family, company, or oneself.
Comparison to Western Concepts: An English speaker might say “it was a fool's errand” or “I was tilting at windmills.” These phrases often imply that the person undertaking the task was naive or foolish. 徒劳, however, is more objective and less judgmental. It focuses purely on the outcome—the lack of results—rather than the wisdom of the person. A well-planned, intelligent effort can still turn out to be 徒劳 due to external circumstances, and the word captures this sense of unfortunate futility without necessarily blaming the individual. It's less about the “fool” and more about the “errand.”
Practical Usage in Modern China
Formality:徒劳 is a somewhat formal and literary word. You are more likely to encounter it in written articles, news reports, formal speeches, or serious discussions than in casual, everyday chat. For simpler situations, people might use the more colloquial `白费力气 (báifèi lìqi)` - “wasted strength for nothing.”
As an Adverb: When used as an adverb, it is often followed by `地 (de)` to modify a verb, meaning “to do [verb] in vain.”
e.g., 他们徒劳地试图阻止潮流。 (Tāmen túláo de shìtú zǔzhǐ cháoliú.) - They tried in vain to stop the trend.
As an Adjective/Predicate: It can be used as a predicate, often in the structure `是徒劳的 (shì túláo de)`, meaning “is futile.”
e.g., 你所有的努力都是徒劳的。 (Nǐ suǒyǒu de nǔlì dōu shì túláo de.) - All of your efforts were futile.
Connotation: The connotation is inherently negative, as it describes failure. However, it can also be used to evoke sympathy for someone who tried their best against impossible odds.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
尽管医生们尽了全力，但他们所有的努力最终都是徒劳的。
Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn yīshēngmen jìnle quánlì, dàn tāmen suǒyǒu de nǔlì zuìzhōng dōu shì túláo de.
English: Although the doctors did their best, all their efforts were ultimately in vain.
Analysis: This is a common and serious context for 徒劳. It highlights a sad outcome despite maximum effort, using the `是…的` structure.
Example 2:
他徒劳地试图说服老板改变主意。
Pinyin: Tā túláo de shìtú shuōfú lǎobǎn gǎibiàn zhǔyi.
English: He tried in vain to persuade his boss to change his mind.
Analysis: Here, 徒劳 acts as an adverb modifying the verb “to try” (试图). The `地 (de)` makes it clear that the *manner* of trying was futile.
English: Arguing with an unreasonable person is completely fruitless.
Analysis: This sentence uses 徒劳 as a simple predicate to describe the nature of an action (“arguing with…”).
Example 4:
所有的救援行动都被证明是徒劳的，船最终还是沉没了。
Pinyin: Suǒyǒu de jiùyuán xíngdòng dōu bèi zhèngmíng shì túláo de, chuán zuìzhōng háishì chénmò le.
English: All rescue operations proved to be futile, and the ship eventually sank.
Analysis: This example shows 徒劳 used in a narrative context, like a news report, describing the failure of a large-scale effort.
Example 5:
如果没有正确的策略，再多的投资也可能是徒劳的。
Pinyin: Rúguǒ méiyǒu zhèngquè de cèlüè, zài duō de tóuzī yě kěnéng shì túláo de.
English: Without the right strategy, even more investment could be futile.
Analysis: A classic example from a business or economic context. It highlights that sheer effort (or money) isn't enough.
Example 6:
她意识到，试图修复他们之间破碎的关系只是一种徒劳。
Pinyin: Tā yìshí dào, shìtú xiūfù tāmen zhījiān pòsuì de guānxì zhǐshì yīzhǒng túláo.
English: She realized that trying to mend their broken relationship was just a futile effort.
Analysis: This shows 徒劳 being used as a noun concept: “a kind of futility” or “a futile act.”
Example 7:
任何想逆转历史潮流的企图都是徒劳的。
Pinyin: Rènhé xiǎng nìzhuǎn lìshǐ cháoliú de qìtú dōu shì túláo de.
English: Any attempt to reverse the tide of history is doomed to be futile.
Analysis: This sentence has a strong, almost philosophical tone, often found in formal writing or political statements.
Example 8:
别再徒劳了，这个锁已经坏了，我们打不开的。
Pinyin: Bié zài túláo le, zhège suǒ yǐjīng huài le, wǒmen dǎbukāi de.
English: Stop wasting your effort; this lock is broken, we can't open it.
Analysis: A slightly more direct and conversational use, though still more formal than saying `别白费力气了 (bié báifèi lìqi le)`. It's a command to stop a fruitless action.
Example 9:
科学家们进行了数百次实验，但寻找新粒子的努力至今仍是徒劳。
Pinyin: Kēxuéjiāmen jìnxíng le shù bǎi cì shíyàn, dàn xúnzhǎo xīn lìzǐ de nǔlì zhìjīn réng shì túláo.
English: Scientists conducted hundreds of experiments, but the effort to find the new particle has been fruitless so far.
Analysis: This illustrates a long-term, ongoing futility in a scientific context. The effort is not over, but so far has yielded no results.
Example 10:
他想用手挡住洪水，这显然是徒劳的。
Pinyin: Tā xiǎng yòng shǒu dǎngzhù hóngshuǐ, zhè xiǎnrán shì túláo de.
English: He wanted to block the flood with his hands, which was obviously futile.
Analysis: This provides a very clear, visual metaphor for a pointless and impossible task.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
Don't use it for minor inconveniences.徒劳 implies significant, wasted *effort*. If you tried to call a friend and they didn't pick up, you wouldn't say your call was 徒劳. It's too dramatic. In that case, you'd use something more colloquial like `白打了 (bái dǎ le)` (“called for nothing”). 徒劳 is for trying to save a failing company, not for a missed phone call.
Difference between 徒劳 (túláo) and 没用 (méiyòng). This is a key distinction for learners.
没用 (méiyòng) means “useless” and describes an inherent quality of an object, method, or person.
徒劳 (túláo) means “futile” and describes the *outcome of an action*.
Correct: 这个坏掉的工具没用。 (Zhège huàidiào de gōngjù méiyòng.) - This broken tool is useless.
Correct: 用这个坏掉的工具去修理汽车是徒劳的。 (Yòng zhège huàidiào de gōngjù qù xiūlǐ qìchē shì túláo de.) - Using this broken tool to fix the car is a futile effort.
Incorrect: 这个工具是徒劳的。 (You can't say a tool “is futile”).
Related Terms and Concepts
徒劳无功 (túláo wúgōng) - The full four-character idiom (chengyu). It literally means “futile labor without accomplishment” and is a more formal and emphatic version of 徒劳.
白费 (báifèi) - A more colloquial verb meaning “to waste.” It's often paired with an object, such as `白费力气 (báifèi lìqi)` (to waste strength) or `白费时间 (báifèi shíjiān)` (to waste time).
无用功 (wúyònggōng) - A noun meaning “useless work” or “wasted effort.” You can say someone is `做无用功 (zuò wúyònggōng)`, meaning they are “doing useless work.”
竹篮打水 (zhúlán dǎshuǐ) - A classic idiom meaning “to draw water with a bamboo basket.” It serves as a vivid metaphor for a completely futile endeavor. Often followed by `一场空 (yīchǎngkōng)` - “all for nothing.”
前功尽弃 (qiángōng jìnqì) - An idiom meaning “all previous efforts are wasted.” This is used when a final failure ruins all the hard work that came before it.
枉然 (wǎngrán) - A formal and literary adverb meaning “in vain” or “futilely.” It is a very close synonym of 徒劳 and is often used interchangeably in written Chinese.
事倍功半 (shìbèi gōngbàn) - An idiom describing high inefficiency: “double the work for half the result.” This is different from 徒劳, which implies zero result.