# 夙夜匪懈

sù yè fěi xiè

Work diligently without letting up

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Morning and night without slackening

**Register:** Formal · literary

[Effort & growth](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/effort)

## When to use it

Praise sustained conscientious dedication.

Formal; does not prescribe sleepless work.

## Understanding the expression

Morning and night span the whole day, while the final words deny slackening. The expression praises continual dedication to a serious responsibility. It is formal and often appears in accounts of service or in ceremonial praise. The point is dependable commitment rather than a literal claim that the person never rests. Effective long term work requires recovery, and a solemn compliment should not become an expectation that exhaustion proves loyalty.

## Examples

她为防灾工作夙夜匪懈。

### Traditional Chinese

她為防災工作夙夜匪懈。

tā wèi fáng zāi gōng zuò sù yè fěi xiè 。

She worked tirelessly on disaster prevention.

团队夙夜匪懈，终于完成修复。

### Traditional Chinese

團隊夙夜匪懈，終於完成修復。

tuán duì sù yè fěi xiè ， zhōng yú wán chéng xiū fù 。

The team worked with unflagging dedication and finally completed the restoration.

他夙夜匪懈地整理档案。

### Traditional Chinese

他夙夜匪懈地整理檔案。

tā sù yè fěi xiè dì zhěng lǐ dàng àn 。

He organized the archives with sustained diligence.

致辞感谢医护人员夙夜匪懈。

### Traditional Chinese

致辭感謝醫護人員夙夜匪懈。

zhì cí gǎn xiè yī hù rén yuán sù yè fěi xiè 。

The speech thanked the medical staff for their unflagging dedication.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%A4%99%E5%A4%9C%E5%8C%AA%E6%87%88)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=793&webMd=1&la=0)

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