心血

心血 (xīnxuè) literally translates to "heart and blood." When used as a noun, it refers to the painstaking effort, energy, and dedication you put into something. Think of it as pouring your heart and soul into a task.

Sure. You could say:

这本书是他多年的心血。
(Zhè běn shū shì tā duō nián de xīnxuè.)
This book is the fruit of his many years of painstaking effort (heart and soul).

It's generally a positive word. It highlights the dedication and hard work involved, often implying a positive outcome or a deep personal investment.

No, 心血 is an abstract noun. It refers to the effort and energy, not a tangible object. You wouldn't say "This chair is my 心血." You would say "Making this chair took a lot of my 心血."

While both relate to effort, 心血 implies a deeper, more personal, and often longer-term investment than 努力. 努力 can be a one-time effort, but 心血 suggests a significant amount of personal energy and dedication over time.

Yes, you can. For example, you can say:

他为这个项目付出了很多心血。
(Tā wèi zhè ge xiàngmù fùchū le hěn duō xīnxuè.)
He put a lot of painstaking effort (heart and soul) into this project.

No, in this context, 心血 specifically refers to the abstract meaning of painstaking effort or dedication. If you want to talk about literal blood, you would use 血 (xuè) or 血液 (xuèyè).

A very common phrase is 心血来潮 (xīnxuèláicháo), which means to have a sudden impulse or an idea on a whim. While it contains 心血, its meaning is quite different from just the noun itself.

It's a CEFR A2 level word. This means it's a relatively common and useful word that you'll encounter in everyday Chinese.

Of course. How about this one:

老师把所有的心血都投入到教育事业中。
(Lǎoshī bǎ suǒyǒu de xīnxuè dōu tóurù dào jiàoyù shìyè zhōng.)
The teacher poured all her painstaking effort (heart and soul) into her teaching career.