Dictionary › 苦

苦

kǔ

HSK 4 Character

What 苦 means

1. bitter
2. hardship
3. pain
4. to suffer
5. to bring suffering to
6. painstakingly

Example sentences

• 辛苦啦！
  Good work!
• 苦尽甘来。
  Kǔ jìn gān lái.
  No sweet without sweat.
• 良药苦口。
  Liángyàokǔkǒu.
  Good medicine is bitter to the mouth.
• 人生良苦。
  Life is very hard.
• 生活很艰苦。
  Life has been very hard.
• 大家辛苦了！
  Good job, everyone!

Words starting with 苦

• 苦尽甘来kǔ jìn gān láibitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times…
• 苦难kǔ nànsuffering
• 苦笑kǔ xiàoto force a smile; a bitter laugh
• 苦恼kǔ nǎovexed; distressed
• 苦苦kǔ kǔstrenuously; persistently; hard
• 苦涩kǔ sèbitter and astringent; pained; agonized
• 苦闷kǔ mèndepressed; dejected; feeling low
• 苦心kǔ xīnpainstaking effort; to take a lot of trouble; laborious at pains
• 苦头kǔ tousufferings
• 苦瓜kǔ guābitter melon (bitter gourd, balsam pear, balsam apple, leprosy gourd, bitter cucumber)
• 苦痛kǔ tòngpain; suffering
• 苦练kǔ liànto train hard; to practice diligently; hard work
• 苦于kǔ yúto suffer from (a disadvantage)
• 苦力kǔ lìbitter work; hard toil; (loanword) coolie, unskilled Chinese laborer in colonial times
• 苦衷kǔ zhōngsecret trouble; sorrow; difficulties
• 苦海kǔ hǎilit. sea of bitterness; abyss of worldly suffering (Buddhist term); depths of misery
• 苦口婆心kǔ kǒu pó xīnearnest and well-meaning advice (idiom); to persuade patiently
• 苦命kǔ mìnghard lot; bitter fate; unfortunate
• 苦水kǔ shuǐbitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates); suffering…
• 苦不堪言kǔ bù kān yánto suffer unspeakable misery; indescribably painful; hellish
• 苦楚kǔ chǔsuffering; misery; pain (esp. psychological)
• 苦味kǔ wèibitter taste; bitterness
• 苦果kǔ guǒlit. bitter fruit; fig. painful consequence
• 苦战kǔ zhànbitter struggle; hard battle; arduous effort

Words containing 苦

• 辛苦xīn kǔexhausting; hard; tough
• 痛苦tòng kǔpain; suffering; painful
• 艰苦jiān kǔdifficult; hard; arduous
• 刻苦kè kǔhardworking; assiduous
• 吃苦chī kǔto bear hardships
• 受苦shòu kǔto suffer hardship
• 辛辛苦苦xīn xīn kǔ kǔpainstakingly; with great trouble
• 何苦hé kǔwhy bother?; is it worth the trouble?
• 挖苦wā kǔto speak sarcastically; to make cutting remarks; also pr. wā ku
• 诉苦sù kǔto grumble; to complain; grievance
• 困苦kùn kǔdeprivation; distressed; miserable
• 贫苦pín kǔpoverty-stricken; poor
• 酸甜苦辣suān tián kǔ là(lit.) sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom); (fig.) all kinds of flavors…
• 千辛万苦qiān xīn wàn kǔto suffer untold hardships (idiom); trials and tribulations; with difficulty…
• 愁眉苦脸chóu méi kǔ liǎnto look anxious (idiom); to look miserable
• 艰苦奋斗jiān kǔ fèn dòuto struggle arduously
• 吃苦耐劳chī kǔ nài láohardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)
• 穷苦qióng kǔimpoverished; destitute
• 叫苦jiào kǔto whine about hardships; to complain of one's bitter lot; to complain
• 疾苦jí kǔpain and difficulties; suffering (of the people)
• 愁苦chóu kǔanxiety; distress
• 命苦mìng kǔto be born under an ill star
• 清苦qīng kǔdestitute but honest; poor and simple; spartan
• 劳苦láo kǔto toil; hard work

Characters built on 古

These share the phonetic component 古 (gǔ), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 估gūto estimate
• 居jūto reside; to be (in a certain position); to store up
• 故gùhappening; instance; reason
• 固gùhard; strong; solid
• 胡húnon-Han people, esp. from central Asia; reckless; outrageous
• 姑gūpaternal aunt; husband's sister; husband's mother (old)
• 辜gūcrime; sin
• 枯kū(of plants) withered; (of wells, rivers etc) dried up; (bound form) dull; boring

Characters that look like 苦

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 若ruòto seem; like; as
• 劳láo(bound form) to toil; labor; (bound form) laborer; (bound form) meritorious deed
• 秀xiù(bound form) refined; elegant; graceful; beautiful; (bound form) superior; excellent…
• 苷gānlicorice; glycoside
• 芸yúncommon rue (Ruta graveolens)…
• 垩èto whitewash; to plaster

Sounds the same

Read kǔ, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 楛broken utensil