你可曾尽心
“Did you fulfill your duty?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
你可曾尽心
“Did you fulfill your duty?”
可曾尽力
“Did you give it your all?”
“You completely failed your responsibilities and let me down.”
In traditional Chinese bureaucratic culture, officials are morally expected to dedicate their entire heart and strength to the duties entrusted by superiors or the emperor.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
ever; have you ever
A formal, literary rhetorical marker used in serious inquiry or solemn reprimands.
to devote one's full heart; to do one's utmost
Commonly paired with '尽力' to indicate complete conscientiousness and dedication to a duty.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Do you remember…”
“Have you ever really liked me?”
“did you ever think you'd end up like this?”
“But who would have thought”
“Did you ever take our marriage to heart?”
“Don't forget,”