- 煞费苦心 shàfèikǔxīn to take great painsto take a lot of trouble; to put in a lot of effort; to rack one's brains to accomplish something
- 苦心经营 kǔxīnjīngyíng to build up painstakinglyto manage or build up an enterprise or project through immense effort and careful planning
- 苦心孤诣 kǔxīngūyì to work with painstaking careto make extreme efforts to achieve something; specifically to study or work hard to reach a level of excellence that others cannot match
- 皇天不负苦心人 huángtiānbùfùkǔxīnrén hard work pays offHeaven will not disappoint a person who tries their best; hard work is eventually rewarded
- 苦心积虑 kǔxīnjīlǜ to take great painsTo rack one's brains; to exhaust one's thoughts and planning over a long period of time.