"苦" • Chinese-English Dictionary

DICTIONARY OPTIONS
CHARACTERS : Simplified Traditional
PHONETIC : Pinyin Bopomofo EFEO Wade-Giles Yale
» Search by Radical
苦
Trad. 苦
Radical
Radical
(Bushou)		 艸
Strokes 6
Composition
Strokes 8
Structure
Decomp. 艹十口
艹 + 古
Prononciation
Mandarin kǔ
Entry Methods
Pinyin ku3
Kanji /
Cangjie
 TJR
廿十口
Sijiao 4460.4
Wubi ADF
CNS 11643 1-533A
Encodages (hexa)
Unicode U+82E6
GB2312 BFE0
BIG5 AD57
HSK
Level 4
苦 kǔ bitter / hardship / pain / to suffer / to bring suffering to / painstakingly
Results beginning with 苦
苦笑 kǔ xiào to force a smile / a bitter laugh
苦苦 kǔ kǔ strenuously / persistently / hard / painful
苦恼 kǔ nǎo vexed / distressed
苦难 kǔ nàn suffering
苦涩 kǔ sè bitter and astringent / pained / agonized
苦头 kǔ tou sufferings
苦练 kǔ liàn to train hard / to practice diligently / hard work / blood, sweat, and tears
苦心 kǔ xīn painstaking effort / to take a lot of trouble / laborious at pains
苦闷 kǔ mèn depressed / dejected / feeling low
苦瓜 kǔ guā bitter melon (bitter gourd, balsam pear, balsam apple, leprosy gourd, bitter cucumber)
苦衷 kǔ zhōng secret trouble / sorrow / difficulties
苦战 kǔ zhàn bitter struggle / hard battle / arduous effort
苦痛 kǔ tòng pain / suffering
苦力 kǔ lì bitter work / hard toil / (loanword) coolie, unskilled Chinese laborer in colonial times
苦命 kǔ mìng hard lot / bitter fate / unfortunate
苦海 kǔ hǎi lit. sea of bitterness / abyss of worldly suffering (Buddhist term) / depths of misery
苦水 kǔ shuǐ bitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates) / suffering / digestive fluids rising from stomach to the mouth / fig. bitter complaint
苦楚 kǔ chǔ suffering / misery / pain (esp. psychological)
苦果 kǔ guǒ lit. bitter fruit / fig. painful consequence
苦思 kǔ sī to think hard / bitter thoughts / to pour out one's sufferings
苦味 kǔ wèi bitter taste / bitterness
苦干 kǔ gàn to work hard
苦功 kǔ gōng hard work / laborious effort / painstaking work
苦行 kǔ xíng ascetic practice
苦工 kǔ gōng hard labor (in penal code) / coolie
苦寒 kǔ hán bitter cold
苦处 kǔ chu suffering / distress
苦役 kǔ yì forced labor / corvée / penal servitude
苦参 kǔ shēn liquorice (Sophora flavescens), with roots used in TCM
苦熬 kǔ áo to endure (years of suffering)
苦主 kǔ zhǔ (old) the family of the victim in a murder case / (Tw, HK) victim (of a crime, misfortune etc) / (Tw) (coll.) person who bears the burden while others benefit;
苦口 kǔ kǒu lit. bitter taste (cf good medicine tastes bitter 良藥苦口|良药苦口) / fig. earnestly (of warning, advice)
苦胆 kǔ dǎn gallbladder
苦境 kǔ jìng grievance / dire straits
苦活 kǔ huó bitter work / sweated labor
苦艾 kǔ ài wormwood / Artemisia absinthium
苦逼 kǔ bī (coll.) miserable / wretched
苦差 kǔ chāi hard task / difficult mission / arduous and unrewarding undertaking / drudgery / grind / chore
苦待 kǔ dài treat harshly
苦甘 kǔ gān bitter sweet
苦根 kǔ gēn underlying cause of poverty
苦谏 kǔ jiàn to admonish strenuously
苦苣 kǔ jù endive
苦菊 kǔ jú endive
苦况 kǔ kuàng wretched state / miserable plight
苦劳 kǔ láo toil / hard work
苦楝 kǔ liàn chinaberry (Melia azedarach)
苦苓 kǔ líng chinaberry (Melia azedarach)
苦情 kǔ qíng wretched situation / plight / wretched / miserable
苦趣 kǔ qù wretched feelings (opposite: 樂趣|乐趣, delight)
苦事 kǔ shì hard job / arduous task
苦刑 kǔ xíng torture / corporal punishment (traditionally involving mutilation or amputation)
苦窑 kǔ yáo (slang) prison
苦因 kǔ yīn affliction
苦于 kǔ yú to suffer from (a disadvantage)
苦蘵 kǔ zhí cutleaf ground-cherry / Physalis angulata
苦竹 kǔ zhú bitter bamboo (Pleioblastus amarus)
» MORE
苦肉计 kǔ ròu jì the trick of injuring oneself to gain the enemy's confidence / CL:條|条[tiao2]
苦行僧 kǔ xíng sēng ascetic monk
苦差事 kǔ chāi shi see 苦差[ku3 chai1]
苦菜花 Kǔ Cài huā Bitter Herbs, 1958 novel by Feng Deying 馮德英|冯德英[Feng2 De2ying1], made into a film in 1965
苦艾酒 kǔ ài jiǔ absinthe (distilled anise-based liquor)
苦不唧 kǔ bu jī slightly bitter
苦迭打 kǔ dié dǎ (loanword) coup d'état
苦迭塔 kǔ dié tǎ (loanword) coup d'état
苦瓜脸 kǔ guā liǎn sour expression on one's face
苦哈哈 kǔ hā hā to have difficulty getting by / to struggle (financially etc)
苦活儿 kǔ huó r erhua variant of 苦活[ku3 huo2]
苦荬菜 kǔ mǎi cài Ixeris denticulata
苦日子 kǔ rì zi hard times
苦味酸 kǔ wèi suān picric acid / TNP
苦油楝 kǔ yóu liàn andiroba, bastard mahogany
苦口婆心 kǔ kǒu pó xīn earnest and well-meaning advice (idiom) / to persuade patiently
苦心经营 kǔ xīn jīng yíng to build up an enterprise through painstaking efforts
苦尽甘来 kǔ jìn gān lái bitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom) / the hard times are over, the good times just beginning
苦思冥想 kǔ sī míng xiǎng to consider from all angles (idiom) / to think hard / to rack one's brains
苦心孤诣 kǔ xīn gū yì to make painstaking efforts (idiom) / after much trouble / to work hard at sth
苦大仇深 kǔ dà chóu shēn great bitterness, deep hatred (idiom) / deeply ingrained long-standing resentment
苦海茫茫 kǔ hǎi máng máng sea of bitterness is vast (idiom)
苦难深重 kǔ nàn shēn zhòng deep grief / extensive sorrow
苦中作乐 kǔ zhōng zuò lè to find joy in sorrows (idiom) / to enjoy sth in spite of one's suffering
苦不唧儿 kǔ bu jī r erhua variant of 苦不唧[ku3 bu5 ji1]
苦不堪言 kǔ bù kān yán to suffer unspeakable misery / indescribably painful / hellish
苦大仇深 kǔ dà - chóu shēn (idiom) great bitterness and deep hatred / deeply ingrained long-standing resentment
苦集灭道 kǔ jí miè dào the Four Noble Truths (Budd.), namely: all life is suffering 苦[ku3], the cause of suffering is desire 集[ji2], emancipation comes only by eliminating passions 滅|灭[mie4], the way 道[dao4] to emancipation is the Eight-fold Noble Way 八正道[ba1 zheng4 dao4] / also called 四諦|四谛[si4 di4]
苦苦哀求 kǔ kǔ āi qiú to entreat piteously / to implore
苦思冥想 kǔ sī - míng xiǎng (idiom) to think deeply / to rack one's brains
苦杏仁苷 kǔ xìng rén gān amygdalin
苦行赎罪 kǔ xíng shú zuì penance (to atone for a sin)
苦味呋乙啶 kǔ wèi fū zhé dìng furethidine picrate
苦味酸吗哌利定  morpheridine picrate
苦味酸麦司卡林  mescaline picrate
苦味酸去甲美沙酮 kǔ wèi suān qù jiǎ měi shā tóng normethadone picrate
苦役或非苦役徒刑 kǔ yì huò fēi kǔ yì tú xíng imprisonment of either description
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. / Repent and ye shall be saved!
Approximate Results for 苦
痛苦 tòng kǔ pain / suffering / painful / CL:個|个[ge4]
辛苦 xīn kǔ exhausting / hard / tough / arduous / to work hard / to go to a lot of trouble / hardship(s)
艰苦 jiān kǔ difficult / hard / arduous
刻苦 kè kǔ hardworking / assiduous
受苦 shòu kǔ to suffer hardship
何苦 hé kǔ why bother? / is it worth the trouble?
吃苦 chī kǔ to bear hardships
叫苦 jiào kǔ to whine about hardships / to complain of one's bitter lot / to complain / to grumble
诉苦 sù kǔ to grumble / to complain / grievance
挖苦 wā kǔ to speak sarcastically / to make cutting remarks / also pr. [wa1 ku5]
命苦 mìng kǔ to be born under an ill star
贫苦 pín kǔ poverty-stricken / poor
疾苦 jí kǔ pain and difficulties / suffering (of the people)
困苦 kùn kǔ deprivation / distressed / miserable
穷苦 qióng kǔ impoverished / destitute
劳苦 láo kǔ to toil / hard work
悲苦 bēi kǔ forlorn / miserable
愁苦 chóu kǔ anxiety / distress
凄苦 qī kǔ bleak / miserable
甘苦 gān kǔ good times and hardships / joys and tribulations / for better or for worse
清苦 qīng kǔ destitute but honest / poor and simple / spartan / austere
病苦 bìng kǔ pains (of illness) / sufferings (esp. in Buddhism)
勤苦 qín kǔ hardworking / assiduous
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)
变苦 biàn kǔ to sour / to turn sour / to curdle
冤苦 yuān kǔ to treat (sb) unjustly / anguish caused by an injustice
» MORE
吃苦头 chī kǔ tou to suffer / to suffer for one's actions / to pay dearly / to burn one's fingers
倒苦水 dào kǔ shuǐ to pour out one's grievances
蹲苦窑 dūn kǔ yáo (slang) to be behind bars
二遍苦 èr biàn kǔ second persecution
何苦呢 hé kǔ ne why bother? / is it worth the trouble?
氯化苦 lu:4 huà kǔ chloropicrin
卖苦力 mài kǔ lì to make a hard living as unskilled laborer
同甘苦 tóng gān kǔ to share joys and sorrows / sharing good times and hard times / same as 同甘共苦
吐苦水 tǔ kǔ shuǐ to have bitter digestive fluids rising to the mouth / fig. to complain bitterly / to pour out one's sufferings
忆苦饭 yì kǔ fàn unsavory meal taken in remembrance of past hardships / fig. poor-tasting meal
吃苦耐劳 chī kǔ nài láo hardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)
艰苦奋斗 jiān kǔ fèn dòu to struggle arduously
辛辛苦苦 xīn xīn kǔ kǔ painstakingly / with great trouble
千辛万苦 qiān xīn wàn kǔ to suffer untold hardships (idiom) / trials and tribulations / with difficulty / after some effort
酸甜苦辣 suān tián kǔ là sour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot / fig. the joys and sorrows of life
愁眉苦脸 chóu méi kǔ liǎn to look anxious (idiom) / to look miserable
埋头苦干 mái tóu kǔ gàn to bury oneself in work (idiom) / to be engrossed in work / to make an all-out effort / up to the neck in work
刻苦学习 kè kǔ xué xí to study hard / assiduous
煞费苦心 shà fèi kǔ xīn to take a lot of trouble (idiom) / painstaking / at the cost of a lot of effort
同甘共苦 tóng gān gòng kǔ shared delights and common hardships (idiom) / to share life's joys and sorrows / for better or for worse
含辛茹苦 hán xīn rú kǔ to suffer every possible torment (idiom) / bitter hardship / to bear one's cross
冥思苦想 míng sī kǔ xiǎng to consider from all angles (idiom) / to think hard / to rack one's brains
叫苦不迭 jiào kǔ bu dié to complain without stopping (idiom) / to bitch endlessly / incessant grievances
自讨苦吃 zì tǎo kǔ chī to ask for trouble (idiom) / to make a rod for one's own back
不辞劳苦 bù cí láo kǔ to spare no effort
勤学苦练 qín xué kǔ liàn to study diligently / to train assiduously
忆苦思甜 yì kǔ sī tián to view one's past as miserable and one's present as happy (idiom)
凄风苦雨 qī fēng kǔ yǔ lit. bleak wind and icy rain (idiom) / fig. hardships / miserable circumstances
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[ba1 ku3]
备尝辛苦 bèi cháng xīn kǔ to have suffered all kinds of hardships (idiom)
不胜其苦 bù shèng qí kǔ unable to bear the pain (idiom)
倒悬之苦 dào xuán zhī kǔ lit. the pain of being hanged upside down (idiom) / fig. extremely critical situation / dire straits
孤苦零丁 gū kǔ líng dīng variant of 孤苦伶仃[gu1 ku3 ling2 ding1]
孤苦伶仃 gū kǔ líng dīng solitary and impoverished (idiom)
艰苦朴素 jiān kǔ pǔ sù leading a plain, hardworking life (idiom)
坚苦卓绝 jiān kǔ zhuó jué persisting despite trials and tribulations (idiom) / conspicuous determination
叫苦连天 jiào kǔ lián tiān to whine on for days (idiom) / to endlessly grumble complaints / incessant whining
刻苦耐劳 kè kǔ nài láo to bear hardships and work hard (idiom) / assiduous and long-suffering / hard-working and capable of overcoming adversity
劳心苦思 láo xīn kǔ sī to rack one's brains / to think hard
良工心苦 liáng gōng xīn kǔ expert craft from hard practice (idiom) / hard-won skill / A masterpiece demands suffering.
良药苦口 liáng yào kǔ kǒu good medicine tastes bitter (idiom) / fig. frank criticism is hard to swallow
冥思苦索 míng sī kǔ suǒ to mull over (idiom) / to think long and hard
茹苦含辛 rú kǔ hán xīn bitter hardship / to bear one's cross
用心良苦 yòng xīn liáng kǔ to ponder earnestly / to give a lot of thought to sth
嘴甜心苦 zuǐ tián xīn kǔ sweet mouth, bitter heart (idiom) / insincere flattery
矮脚苦蒿 ǎi jiǎo kǔ hāo see 熊膽草|熊胆草[xiong2 dan3 cao3]
备尝艰苦 bèi cháng - jiān kǔ see 備嘗辛苦|备尝辛苦[bei4chang2-xin1ku3]
备尝辛苦 bèi cháng - xīn kǔ (idiom) to have suffered all kinds of hardships
秘鲁苦蘵 Bì lǔ kǔ zhí Peruvian ground-cherry / cape gooseberry / Physalis peruviana
不辞辛苦 bù cí xīn kǔ to make nothing of hardships
大吃苦头 dà chī kǔ tou to suffer / to suffer for one's actions / to pay dearly / to burn one's fingers
访贫问苦 fǎng pín wèn kǔ to visit the poor and ask about their suffering (idiom)
刻苦努力 kè kǔ nǔ lì assiduous / taking great pains
刻苦钻研 kè kǔ zuān yán to study diligently
良苦用心 liáng kǔ yòng xīn to ponder earnestly / to give a lot of thought to sth
离苦得乐 lí kǔ dé lè to abandon suffering and obtain happiness (Buddhism)
没苦硬吃 méi kǔ - yìng chī (neologism c. 2024) to stubbornly endure hardships that need not be endured / to go out of one's way to make things difficult for oneself
皮肉之苦 pí ròu zhī kǔ physical pain / lit. skin and flesh suffer
勤奋刻苦 qín fèn kè kǔ diligent / assiduous
穷思苦想 qióng sī kǔ xiǎng to think hard (idiom) / to give sth much thought
酸甜苦辣 suān - tián - kǔ - là lit. sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom) / fig. all kinds of flavors / the joys and sorrows of life
脱离苦海 tuō lí kǔ hǎi to escape from the abyss of suffering / to shed off a wretched plight
万分痛苦 wàn fēn tòng kǔ excruciating
学习刻苦 xué xí kè kǔ to study hard / assiduous
忧苦以终 yōu kǔ yǐ zhōng worried to death (idiom)
浴血苦战 yù xuè kǔ zhàn a blood soaked and hard-fought struggle (idiom)
装穷叫苦 zhuāng qióng jiào kǔ to feign and complain bitterly of being poverty stricken (idiom)
自食苦果 zì shí kǔ guǒ see 自食惡果|自食恶果[zi4 shi2 e4 guo3]
自讨苦吃 zì tǎo - kǔ chī (idiom) to ask for trouble / to make a rod for one's own back
自找苦吃 zì zhǎo kǔ chī to bring trouble on oneself
白胸苦恶鸟 bái xiōng kǔ è niǎo (bird species of China) white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
红脚苦恶鸟 hóng jiǎo kǔ è niǎo (bird species of China) brown crake (Amaurornis akool)
有苦说不出 yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū having unspeakable bitter suffering / (often used after 啞巴吃黃連|哑巴吃黄连[ya3 ba5 chi1 huang2 lian2])
艰苦条件分类  hardship classification
艰苦工作地点  hardship duty station
人的痛苦指数  human suffering index
艰苦条件津贴 jiān kǔ tiáo jiàn jīn tiē hardship allowance
痛苦回忆儿童 tòng kǔ huí yì r tóng enfant mauvais souvenir / little Interahamwe
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.
好奇会吃苦头的 hào qí huì chī kǔ tou de Curiosity killed the cat.
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
流动和艰苦条件津贴  mobility and hardship allowance
小洞不堵，大洞吃苦 xiǎo dòng bù dǔ , dà dòng chī kǔ a small hole not plugged will give you grief when it gets bigger (idiom) / a stitch in time saves nine
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.
艰苦地点薪酬激励差数  Difficult-to-Staff Incentive Differential
流动和艰苦条件津贴办法  Mobility and Hardship Scheme
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) / no pain, no gain
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) / unable to speak of one's bitter suffering / sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，有苦說不出|哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出
国际反对对动物进行痛苦试验协会  International Association Against Painful Experiments on Animals
不经一番风霜苦，难得腊梅吐清香 bù jīng yī fān fēng shuāng kǔ , nán dé là méi tǔ qīng xiāng Without once passing through the winter's cold and wind, where would the sweet spring fragrance come from?
Chinese Tones