Skip to content

苦恼

kǔ nǎo
HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

Definitions

  1. 1. vexed
  2. 2. distressed

Stop forgetting what you study. Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Start Free Trial · $49.99 / year

Sign up with Google
Continue with Email
Try a practice session

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item
快乐
kuài lè

happy; joyful

快乐 means 'happy', opposite of distressed.

Related words

1 item
忧愁
yōu chóu

to be worried

忧愁 is more literary for 'sad and worried'.

Synonyms

1 item
烦恼
fán nǎo

to be worried

Both mean 'worried' or 'vexed'; 苦恼 emphasizes inner distress, 烦恼 emphasizes annoyance or trouble.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not use 很苦恼 to describe a trivial annoyance; it implies deep distress. For minor irritation, use 烦 instead.

Example Sentences

1 shown
他因为考试没考好而 苦恼 。
He is distressed because he didn't do well on the exam.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 苦恼

苦
kǔ

bitter

恼
nǎo

to get angry