工夫 gōngfu period of time
period of time (may be months, or mere seconds); spare time; skill; labor; effort
How to remember 工夫: 工 work + 夫 husband = period of time.
Characters
How it is used
- Time/effort spent, or a moment: 花工夫 (huā gōngfu) to put in time and effort; 一会儿工夫 (in just a moment).
- Note neutral tone. Two threads: duration ('a while') and invested effort/skill (下工夫 to work hard at).
- Often interchangeable with 功夫, but 功夫 leans toward skill/kung fu, 工夫 toward time/effort.