hàojìn: 耗尽 - To Exhaust, To Use Up, To Deplete

hàojìn: 耗尽 - To Exhaust, To Use Up, To Deplete

Quick Summary

Keywords: 耗尽, haojin, hao jin, Chinese word for exhaust, Chinese for use up, deplete in Chinese, 耗尽 meaning, 耗尽 vs 用完, how to use 耗尽, exhaust resources, run out of patience Chinese
Summary: Learn the powerful Chinese verb 耗尽 (hàojìn), which means to completely exhaust, use up, or deplete a resource. This page breaks down its meaning, cultural context, and practical usage for both tangible things like energy and money, and intangible concepts like patience and trust. Discover how `耗尽` differs from the more common `用完 (yòng wán)` and master its use through 10 detailed example sentences.

Core Meaning

Pinyin (with tone marks): hàojìn
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 6
Concise Definition: To exhaust, use up, or deplete a resource completely.
In a Nutshell: `耗尽` is a strong, emphatic word that signifies the total consumption of something until nothing is left. Think of it as a well running completely dry or a battery hitting zero percent. It often carries a sense of finality and can imply a difficult or negative process. It's not just that something is “used up”; it has been thoroughly and completely expended.

Character Breakdown

耗 (hào): This character means “to consume” or “to expend.” The left side, `耒 (lěi)`, is a pictograph of an ancient plow, representing agriculture and resources. The right side, `毛 (máo)`, means fur or hair. Together, they create an image of resources (like grain or fur from a pelt) being slowly consumed or worn away.
尽 (jìn): This character means “to the end,” “to finish,” or “completely.” It depicts a hand holding a brush cleaning out a vessel, symbolizing making something completely empty.
When combined, 耗 (consume) + 尽 (completely) = 耗尽 (hàojìn), which literally means “to consume until completely finished.”

Cultural Context and Significance

In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on diligence, perseverance, and making the most of one's resources, whether they be time, money, or effort. The term `耗尽` taps into this by describing the ultimate state of expenditure. For example, the phrase `耗尽心血 (hàojìn xīnxuè)`, meaning to exhaust one's “heart's blood” or painstaking effort, is a high compliment for someone who has poured their entire being into a project, their work, or raising their family. It speaks to a cultural value of total dedication.
Comparison to Western Concepts: While an English speaker might say they're “running on empty” or “tapped out,” these phrases can often imply a temporary state that can be refilled. `耗尽` carries a much stronger sense of finality and completeness. If you've `耗尽` your savings, it means they are truly gone, not just low. This reflects a certain gravity and emphasis on the consequences of total consumption.

Practical Usage in Modern China

`耗尽` is a versatile word used in both formal and informal contexts, though it always adds a degree of seriousness or emphasis.
Formal/Written Context: It is frequently used in news reports, academic papers, and official documents, especially when discussing the depletion of natural resources.
- e.g., `耗尽自然资源 (hàojìn zìrán zīyuán)` - to exhaust natural resources.
Personal/Emotional Context: In conversation, it's used to dramatically express the complete loss of an intangible quality.
- e.g., `我的耐心被他耗尽了。(Wǒ de nàixīn bèi tā hàojìn le.)` - My patience has been completely exhausted by him.
Physical and Mental State: It describes a state of total physical or mental exhaustion.
- e.g., `跑完马拉松后，他耗尽了所有力气。(Pǎo wán mǎlāsōng hòu, tā hàojìnle suǒyǒu lìqi.)` - After finishing the marathon, he had exhausted all his strength.

Example Sentences

Example 1:
- 经过几天的连续工作，我的精力已经耗尽了。
- Pinyin: Jīngguò jǐ tiān de liánxù gōngzuò, wǒ de jīnglì yǐjīng hàojìn le.
- English: After several days of continuous work, my energy has been completely exhausted.
- Analysis: A very common use case, describing the total depletion of one's physical or mental energy (`精力`).
Example 2:
- 如果我们不开始节约，地球的资源总有一天会被耗尽。
- Pinyin: Rúguǒ wǒmen bù kāishǐ jiéyuē, dìqiú de zīyuán zǒng yǒu yī tiān huì bèi hàojìn.
- English: If we don't start conserving, the Earth's resources will one day be depleted.
- Analysis: This shows the formal usage of `耗尽` in the context of large-scale resource (`资源`) management.
Example 3:
- 他为了治病，几乎耗尽了家里所有的积蓄。
- Pinyin: Tā wèile zhìbìng, jīhū hàojìn le jiālǐ suǒyǒu de jīxù.
- English: In order to treat his illness, he used up almost all of the family's savings.
- Analysis: Here, `耗尽` has a strong negative connotation, emphasizing the financial hardship and the totality of the loss of savings (`积蓄`).
Example 4:
- 这场无休止的争吵耗尽了我对他最后的信任。
- Pinyin: Zhè chǎng wúxiūzhǐ de zhēngchǎo hàojìn le wǒ duì tā zuìhòu de xìnrèn.
- English: This endless argument exhausted my last bit of trust in him.
- Analysis: This example demonstrates using `耗尽` for an abstract concept like trust (`信任`). It implies the trust is completely gone and cannot be easily restored.
Example 5:
- 创意工作者有时会感到自己的灵感被耗尽了。
- Pinyin: Chuàngyì gōngzuòzhě yǒushí huì gǎndào zìjǐ de línggǎn bèi hàojìn le.
- English: Creative workers sometimes feel that their inspiration has been used up.
- Analysis: `灵感 (línggǎn)` or inspiration is another abstract noun that works perfectly with `耗尽`.
Example 6:
- 手机电量即将耗尽，我得马上充电。
- Pinyin: Shǒujī diànliàng jíjiāng hàojìn, wǒ děi mǎshàng chōngdiàn.
- English: The phone's battery is about to be completely drained, I need to charge it right away.
- Analysis: A modern, everyday example. While you could say `快没电了 (kuài méi diàn le)`, using `耗尽` sounds slightly more formal or technical, like a system notification.
Example 7:
- 为了完成这个项目，整个团队耗尽了心血。
- Pinyin: Wèile wánchéng zhège xiàngmù, zhěnggè tuánduì hàojìn le xīnxuè.
- English: To complete this project, the entire team poured out their heart and soul (lit: exhausted their heart's blood).
- Analysis: This uses the common and powerful collocation `耗尽心血 (hàojìn xīnxuè)`, expressing extreme dedication and effort.
Example 8:
- 救援队在耗尽所有方法后，才不得不放弃搜救。
- Pinyin: Jiùyuán duì zài hàojìn suǒyǒu fāngfǎ hòu, cái bùdébù fàngqì sōujiù.
- English: Only after exhausting all possible methods did the rescue team have to give up the search.
- Analysis: This shows `耗尽` applied to methods or options (`方法`), implying every single possibility was tried.
Example 9:
- 不要把你的时间耗尽在无意义的事情上。
- Pinyin: Búyào bǎ nǐ de shíjiān hàojìn zài wú yìyì de shìqíng shàng.
- English: Don't exhaust your time on meaningless things.
- Analysis: A great example of giving advice. It frames time (`时间`) as a finite resource that can be completely used up or wasted.
Example 10:
- 反复的失败耗尽了他的热情和动力。
- Pinyin: Fǎnfù de shībài hàojìn le tā de rèqíng hé dònglì.
- English: Repeated failures depleted his passion and motivation.
- Analysis: This shows how `耗尽` can be used for emotional states like passion (`热情`) and motivation (`动力`).

Nuances and Common Mistakes

`耗尽 (hàojìn)` vs. `用完 (yòng wán)`
- This is the most common point of confusion for learners. Both can mean “to use up,” but they have different connotations.
- `用完 (yòng wán)`: Neutral, objective, and common. It simply states that something has been finished.
  - Correct: `我把牛奶用完了。(Wǒ bǎ niúnǎi yòng wán le.)` - I used up the milk. (A simple fact).
  - Incorrect: `我把牛奶耗尽了。` - This sounds overly dramatic, as if drinking the milk was a long and arduous process.
- `耗尽 (hàojìn)`: Emphatic and often negative. It implies a process of consumption and a state of complete depletion, often with effort or negative consequences.
  - Correct: `我们耗尽了所有燃料。(Wǒmen hàojìnle suǒyǒu ránliào.)` - We exhausted all our fuel. (Implies a serious situation, perhaps being stranded).
  - In contrast, `我们用完了所有燃料` is also correct but less dramatic.
- Rule of thumb: If you can replace “used up” with “completely exhausted” or “totally depleted” and it adds a sense of drama or seriousness, `耗尽` is probably appropriate. For everyday items like milk, sugar, or paper, stick with `用完`.

Related Terms and Concepts

* 用完 (yòng wán) - The neutral, common way to say “to use up.” The most important term to distinguish from `耗尽`.
* 枯竭 (kūjié) - To be dried up; exhausted. More literary than `耗尽`, often used for rivers, wells, resources, or inspiration.
* 精疲力尽 (jīng pí lì jìn) - A four-character idiom (chengyu) describing the state of being utterly exhausted. This is what a person feels when their energy has been `耗尽`.
* 消耗 (xiāohào) - To consume; to use up. This verb focuses more on the *process* of consumption or expenditure itself, whereas `耗尽` focuses on the *result* of being completely gone.
* 浪费 (làngfèi) - To waste. If you `耗尽` a resource on something useless, you are `浪费`-ing it.
* 心血 (xīnxuè) - Lit. “heart's blood.” A noun meaning painstaking care or monumental effort. It is an abstract concept that is often `耗尽`.
* 资源 (zīyuán) - Resources (natural, financial, etc.). A common object for the verb `耗尽`.
* 筋疲力尽 (jīn pí lì jìn) - A synonym for `精疲力尽`, meaning “body exhausted, strength gone.” Describes a state of extreme physical fatigue.

Table of Contents

hàojìn: 耗尽 - To Exhaust, To Use Up, To Deplete

Quick Summary

Core Meaning

Character Breakdown

Cultural Context and Significance

Practical Usage in Modern China

Example Sentences

Nuances and Common Mistakes

Related Terms and Concepts