吃力 chīlì to entail strenuous effort
to entail strenuous effort; to toil at a task; strenuous; laborious; strain
How to remember 吃力: 吃 eat + 力 power = to entail strenuous effort.
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How it is used
- 'Strenuous, taxing, a strain' - 爬山很吃力 (páshān hěn chīlì) climbing is exhausting, 学得很吃力 to struggle to keep up in studies.
- Describes effort that's a strain and hard going; the 力 = physical/mental exertion. About difficulty of effort, not danger.