‘徒劳’ (tú láo) is an adjective meaning ‘futile’ or ‘in vain’, describing efforts that produce no useful result. The character 徒 (tú) means ‘in vain’ or ‘empty’, while 劳 (láo) means ‘labor’ or ‘effort’. Together, they literally convey ‘empty effort’ — effort that yields nothing. It emphasizes the futility and pointlessness of an action, often carrying a tone of disappointment or resignation.

This word is commonly used in formal writing, news reports, and serious speech — less frequent in casual conversation. It often modifies nouns like ‘努力’ (effort), ‘尝试’ (attempt), or ‘挣扎’ (struggle), and frequently appears with verbs such as ‘是’ (is), ‘显得’ (appears), or ‘归于’ (ends up). It can also stand alone as a predicate adjective: ‘这一切都是徒劳’ (All this is futile). Unlike colloquial alternatives like 白费劲, 徒劳 sounds more literary and weighty.