verb HSK 4
Traditional 白費
to waste · to spend in vain · futile effort
Meaning
白费 means to waste effort, time, or resources without achieving any result. The word combines 白 (in vain, for nothing) with 费 (to spend, to expend), literally meaning 'to spend for nothing.' It conveys the frustration of putting in work that yields no benefit.
Usage
Commonly used to express regret or disappointment about wasted effort. Often appears in phrases like 白费力气 (waste one's energy) or 白费心思 (waste one's thought/effort). Can describe both completed actions that turned out futile and warn against potential futile actions.
Examples
- 01我劝了他半天，结果白费口舌。, .I spent a long time trying to persuade him, but it was a waste of breath.
- 02如果不好好准备，你的努力都会白费。, .If you don't prepare well, all your efforts will be wasted.
Characters
Common collocations
- 白费力气to waste one's energy
- 白费心思to waste one's thought/effort
- 白费口舌to waste one's breath
- 白费工夫to waste one's time/effort
Antonyms
Origin
白 in this context means 'in vain' or 'for nothing' (an extended meaning from 'white/blank'), while 费 means 'to expend.' Together they create the meaning of expending resources without return.