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Definitions

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

Example Sentences

1 shown
後樂。
Source: Tatoeba.org

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org.

Words Containing 苦

何苦
hé kǔ

why bother?

刻苦
kè kǔ

hardworking

受苦
shòu kǔ

to suffer hardship

吃苦
chī kǔ

to bear hardships

愁眉苦脸
chóu méi kǔ liǎn

to look anxious (idiom)

挖苦
wā kǔ

to speak sarcastically

痛苦
tòng kǔ

pain

艰苦
jiān kǔ

difficult

艰苦奋斗
jiān kǔ fèn dòu

to struggle arduously

苦力
kǔ lì

bitter work

苦心
kǔ xīn

painstaking effort

苦恼
kǔ nǎo

vexed

苦尽甘来
kǔ jìn gān lái

bitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times just beginning

苦笑
kǔ xiào

to force a smile

苦练
kǔ liàn

to train hard

苦难
kǔ nàn

suffering

诉苦
sù kǔ

to grumble

辛苦
xīn kǔ

exhausting

酸甜苦辣
suān tián kǔ là

sour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot

不胜其苦
bù shèng qí kǔ

unable to bear the pain (idiom)

不辞劳苦
bù cí láo kǔ

to spare no effort

不辞辛苦
bù cí xīn kǔ

to make nothing of hardships

二遍苦
èr biàn kǔ

second persecution

倒悬之苦
dào xuán zhī kǔ

lit. the pain of being hanged upside down (idiom); fig. extremely critical situation

倒苦水
dào kǔ shuǐ

to pour out one's grievances

备尝辛苦
bèi cháng xīn kǔ

to have suffered all kinds of hardships (idiom)

八苦
bā kǔ

the eight distresses - birth, age, sickness, death, parting with what we love, meeting with what we hate, unattained aims, and all the ills of the five skandhas (Buddhism)

冤苦
yuān kǔ

to treat (sb) unjustly

冥思苦想
míng sī kǔ xiǎng

to consider from all angles (idiom); to think hard

冥思苦索
míng sī kǔ suǒ

to mull over (idiom)

刻苦努力
kè kǔ nǔ lì

assiduous

刻苦学习
kè kǔ xué xí

to study hard

刻苦耐劳
kè kǔ nài láo

to bear hardships and work hard (idiom); assiduous and long-suffering

刻苦钻研
kè kǔ zuān yán

to study diligently

劳心苦思
láo xīn kǔ sī

to rack one's brains

劳苦
láo kǔ

to toil

勤奋刻苦
qín fèn kè kǔ

diligent

勤学苦练
qín xué kǔ liàn

to study diligently

勤苦
qín kǔ

hardworking

千辛万苦
qiān xīn wàn kǔ

with difficulty

叫苦
jiào kǔ

to whine about hardships

叫苦不迭
jiào kǔ bu dié

to complain without stopping (idiom); to bitch endlessly

叫苦连天
jiào kǔ lián tiān

to whine on for days (idiom)

吃得苦中苦,方为人上人
chī dé kǔ zhōng kǔ , fāng wéi rén shàng rén

one cannot achieve glory and wealth without having been through trials and tribulations (proverb)

吃苦耐劳
chī kǔ nài láo

hardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)

吃苦头
chī kǔ tou

to suffer

同甘共苦
tóng gān gòng kǔ

shared delights and common hardships (idiom); to share life's joys and sorrows

同甘苦
tóng gān kǔ

to share joys and sorrows

吐苦水
tǔ kǔ shuǐ

to have bitter digestive fluids rising to the mouth

含辛茹苦
hán xīn rú kǔ

to suffer every possible torment (idiom); bitter hardship

命苦
mìng kǔ

to be born under an ill star

哑巴吃黄连,有苦说不出
yǎ ba chī huáng lián , yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū

to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)

嘴甜心苦
zuǐ tián xīn kǔ

sweet mouth, bitter heart (idiom); insincere flattery

困苦
kùn kǔ

deprivation

埋头苦干
mái tóu kǔ gàn

to bury oneself in work (idiom); to be engrossed in work

坚苦卓绝
jiān kǔ zhuó jué

persisting despite trials and tribulations (idiom); conspicuous determination

孤苦伶仃
gū kǔ líng dīng

solitary and impoverished (idiom)

学习刻苦
xué xí kè kǔ

to study hard

小洞不堵,大洞受苦
xiǎo dòng bù dǔ , dà dòng shòu kǔ

A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); A stitch in time saves nine.

小洞不堵,大洞吃苦
xiǎo dòng bù dǔ , dà dòng chī kǔ

lit. a small hole not plugged will give you grief when it gets bigger (idiom)

小洞不补大洞吃苦
xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng chī kǔ

A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); a stitch in time saves nine

悲苦
bēi kǔ

forlorn

凄苦
qī kǔ

bleak

愁苦
chóu kǔ

anxiety

爱别离苦
ài bié lí kǔ

(Buddhism) the pain of parting with what (or whom) one loves, one of the eight distresses 八苦[bā kǔ]

忧苦以终
yōu kǔ yǐ zhōng

worried to death (idiom)

忆苦思甜
yì kǔ sī tián

to view one's past as miserable and one's present as happy (idiom)

忆苦饭
yì kǔ fàn

unsavory meal taken in remembrance of past hardships

有苦说不出
yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū

having unspeakable bitter suffering

氯化苦
lǜ huà kǔ

chloropicrin

浴血苦战
yù xuè kǔ zhàn

a blood soaked and hard-fought struggle (idiom)

凄风苦雨
qī fēng kǔ yǔ

lit. bleak wind and icy rain (idiom)

清苦
qīng kǔ

destitute but honest

煞费苦心
shà fèi kǔ xīn

to take a lot of trouble (idiom); painstaking

甘苦
gān kǔ

good times and hardships

用心良苦
yòng xīn liáng kǔ

to ponder earnestly

疾苦
jí kǔ

pain and difficulties

病苦
bìng kǔ

pains (of illness)

白胸苦恶鸟
bái xiōng kǔ è niǎo

(bird species of China) white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)

皇天不负苦心人
huáng tiān bù fù kǔ xīn rén

Heaven will not disappoint the person who tries (idiom). If you try hard, you're bound to succeed eventually.

皮肉之苦
pí ròu zhī kǔ

physical pain

矮脚苦蒿
ǎi jiǎo kǔ hāo

see 熊膽草|熊胆草[xióng dǎn cǎo]

秘鲁苦蘵
bì lǔ kǔ zhí

Peruvian ground-cherry

穷思苦想
qióng sī kǔ xiǎng

to think hard (idiom)

穷苦
qióng kǔ

impoverished

红脚苦恶鸟
hóng jiǎo kǔ è niǎo

(bird species of China) brown crake (Amaurornis akool)

脱离苦海
tuō lí kǔ hǎi

to escape from the abyss of suffering

自找苦吃
zì zhǎo kǔ chī

to bring trouble on oneself

自讨苦吃
zì tǎo kǔ chī

to ask for trouble (idiom)

自食苦果
zì shí kǔ guǒ

see 自食惡果|自食恶果[zì shí è guǒ]

良工心苦
liáng gōng xīn kǔ

expert craft from hard practice (idiom); hard-won skill

良苦用心
liáng kǔ yòng xīn

to ponder earnestly

良药苦口
liáng yào kǔ kǒu

good medicine tastes bitter (idiom); fig. frank criticism is hard to swallow

艰苦朴素
jiān kǔ pǔ sù

leading a plain, hardworking life (idiom)

苦不唧
kǔ bu jī

slightly bitter

苦不堪言
kǔ bù kān yán

to suffer unspeakable misery

苦中作乐
kǔ zhōng zuò lè

to find joy in sorrows (idiom); to enjoy sth in spite of one's suffering

苦主
kǔ zhǔ

victim's family (esp. in murder case)

苦事
kǔ shì

hard job

苦刑
kǔ xíng

torture

苦功
kǔ gōng

hard work

苦劳
kǔ láo

toil

苦口
kǔ kǒu

lit. bitter taste (cf good medicine tastes bitter 良藥苦口|良药苦口)

苦口婆心
kǔ kǒu pó xīn

earnest and well-meaning advice (idiom); to persuade patiently

苦味
kǔ wèi

bitter taste

苦命
kǔ mìng

hard lot

苦哈哈
kǔ hā hā

to have difficulty getting by

苦因
kǔ yīn

affliction

苦境
kǔ jìng

grievance

苦大仇深
kǔ dà chóu shēn

great bitterness, deep hatred (idiom); deeply ingrained long-standing resentment

苦工
kǔ gōng

hard labor (in penal code)

苦差
kǔ chāi

hard task

苦差事
kǔ chāi shi

see 苦差[kǔ chāi]

苦干
kǔ gàn

to work hard

苦役
kǔ yì

forced labor

苦待
kǔ dài

treat harshly

苦心孤诣
kǔ xīn gū yì

to make painstaking efforts (idiom); after much trouble

苦心经营
kǔ xīn jīng yíng

to build up an enterprise through painstaking efforts

苦思
kǔ sī

to think hard

苦思冥想
kǔ sī míng xiǎng

to consider from all angles (idiom); to think hard

苦闷
kǔ mèn

depressed

苦情
kǔ qíng

wretched situation

苦战
kǔ zhàn

bitter struggle

苦于
kǔ yú

to suffer from (a disadvantage)

苦日子
kǔ rì zi

hard times

苦杏仁苷
kǔ xìng rén gān

amygdalin

苦果
kǔ guǒ

lit. bitter fruit

苦根
kǔ gēn

underlying cause of poverty

苦楚
kǔ chǔ

suffering

苦楝
kǔ liàn

chinaberry (Melia azedarach)

苦水
kǔ shuǐ

bitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates)

苦况
kǔ kuàng

wretched state

苦活
kǔ huó

bitter work

苦海
kǔ hǎi

lit. sea of bitterness

苦海无边,回头是岸
kǔ hǎi wú biān , huí tóu shì àn

The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore (idiom). Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering.

苦海茫茫
kǔ hǎi máng máng

sea of bitterness is vast (idiom)

苦涩
kǔ sè

bitter and astringent

苦熬
kǔ áo

to endure (years of suffering)

苦瓜
kǔ guā

bitter melon (bitter gourd, balsam pear, balsam apple, leprosy gourd, bitter cucumber)

苦瓜脸
kǔ guā liǎn

sour expression on one's face

苦甘
kǔ gān

bitter sweet

苦痛
kǔ tòng

pain

苦窑
kǔ yáo

(slang) prison

苦竹
kǔ zhú

bitter bamboo (Pleioblastus amarus)

苦肉计
kǔ ròu jì

the trick of injuring oneself to gain the enemy's confidence

苦胆
kǔ dǎn

gall bladder

苦艾
kǔ ài

wormwood

苦艾酒
kǔ ài jiǔ

absinthe (distilled anise-based liquor)

苦苓
kǔ líng

chinaberry (Melia azedarach)

苦苣
kǔ jù

endive

苦苦
kǔ kǔ

strenuously

苦苦哀求
kǔ kǔ āi qiú

to entreat piteously

苦菊
kǔ jú

endive

苦菜花
kǔ cài huā

Bitter Cauliflower, 1954 socialist realist novel by Feng Deying 馮德英|冯德英[féng dé yīng] loosely based on Maxim Gorky's Mother, made into a 1967 film by Li Ang

苦荬菜
kǔ mǎi cài

Ixeris denticulata

苦蘵
kǔ zhí

cutleaf ground-cherry

苦处
kǔ chu

suffering

苦行
kǔ xíng

ascetic practice

苦行赎罪
kǔ xíng shú zuì

penance (to atone for a sin)

苦衷
kǔ zhōng

secret trouble

苦谏
kǔ jiàn

to admonish strenuously

苦趣
kǔ qù

wretched feelings (opposite: 樂趣|乐趣, delight)

苦迭打
kǔ dié dǎ

coup d'état (loanword)

苦集灭道
kǔ jí miè dào

also called 四諦|四谛[sì dì]

苦难深重
kǔ nàn shēn zhòng

deep grief

苦头
kǔ tou

sufferings

茹苦含辛
rú kǔ hán xīn

bitter hardship

万分痛苦
wàn fēn tòng kǔ

excruciating

装穷叫苦
zhuāng qióng jiào kǔ

to feign and complain bitterly of being poverty stricken (idiom)

访贫问苦
fǎng pín wèn kǔ

to visit the poor and ask about their suffering (idiom)

贫苦
pín kǔ

poverty-stricken

卖苦力
mài kǔ lì

to make a hard living as unskilled laborer

蹲苦窑
dūn kǔ yáo

(slang) to be behind bars

辛辛苦苦
xīn xīn kǔ kǔ

painstakingly

离苦得乐
lí kǔ dé lè

to abandon suffering and obtain happiness (Buddhism)