Using "nu li" (effort, try hard) in a sentence?

[xiexieniii]

How do I use "nǔlì" (努力) in a sentence? Is it a noun? a verb? My friend said it means "to work hard". That should mean it's a verb, like "eat" or "drink". Wǒ xǐhuan chī fàn, wǒ xǐhuan nǔlì?

But then I'm told that the sentence for nǔlì is "wǒ hen nǔlì". So, is "nu li" in the same category as "máng" as in "wǒ hen máng"? Wǒ zǒngshì hen máng, wǒ zǒngshì hen nǔlì?

What is the best way to define nǔlì, and some good sentence structures to use with nǔlì? I am confused as to whether it is a verb (like "to eat") or a stative verb (like "máng" which needs "hen" in front of it).

What about gōngzuò? The dictionary says it's both a noun and a verb. Can I say, "wǒ xǐhuan gōngzuò?" I like to work/I like working?

[crazy-meiguoren]

Both you and your friend are correct.

My dictionary has 努力 as a verb (work hard, make a strenuous effort, exert oneself), an adjective (hardworking, studious, diligent), and as an adverb (studiously, diligently).

I think you're on good ground in both your examples.

[HashiriKata]

My dictionary has 努力 as a verb (work hard, make a strenuous effort, exert oneself), an adjective (hardworking, studious, diligent), and as an adverb (studiously, diligently).

Like many Chinese words, 努力 can also be used as a noun: 作不懈的努力 (make unremitting efforts).

Can I say, "wǒ xǐhuan gōngzuò?" I like to work/I like working?

Yes, you can.

[xiexieniii]

So is wo xihuan nuli is also correct?

[Lu]

'Wo xihuan nuli gongzuo' or '... nuli xuexi' would sound a bit more natural to me, but yes, I think you can say 'wo xihuan nuli' if it is already known what it is that you like to work hard on/do diligently.

[necroflux]

One sentence I hear over and over again is: "我一定會(會)努力的" (wo3 yi1ding4 hui4 nu3li4 de) which basically means "I'm (definitely) going to try my best". In English we'd probably leave the "definitely" part out.