辛苦了
Core phraseVery common
You’ve worked hard / Thanks for the effort
What does 辛苦了 mean?
辛苦了 — A natural way to acknowledge someone’s effort, especially after work or a task.
✓You’ve worked hard.
✓Thanks for the effort.
✓Appreciate your hard work.
辛苦了 is not a word-for-word equivalent of “thank you.” It recognizes effort, fatigue, or the trouble someone has taken.
Character breakdown
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
Real-world examples
1 · After finishing work
A: 报告终于改完了。
bàogào zhōngyú gǎi wán le.
A: The report is finally finished.
B: 辛苦了，早点休息。
xīnkǔ le, zǎodiǎn xiūxi.
B: You’ve worked hard. Get some rest early.
2 · Receiving help
A: 东西都搬上来了。
dōngxi dōu bān shànglái le.
A: Everything has been carried up.
B: 辛苦了，谢谢。
xīnkǔ le, xièxie.
B: Thanks for the effort.
3 · At the end of a long day
A: 今天忙了一整天。
jīntiān máng le yì zhěng tiān.
A: We were busy all day today.
B: 大家都辛苦了。
dàjiā dōu xīnkǔ le.
B: Everyone worked hard today.
How to pronounce 辛苦了
辛苦了
Tap to hear Standard Mandarin.
xīn1st tone →
kǔ3rd tone ˇ
leneutral tone
Usage notes
✓Common at work, after a task, or when someone has gone to trouble for you.
✓It acknowledges effort rather than simply expressing gratitude.
✓大家辛苦了 is common when addressing a group after work or an event.
✓With close friends or family, it can sound warm and caring.
Base entry: Real Chinese launch seed.
Context lesson: Real Chinese editorial seed; examples and explanations are original project content.
Context lesson: Real Chinese editorial seed; examples and explanations are original project content.