苦
suffering · trial · worry · hardship · feel bitter · scowl
Details
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
grass + 古
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of grass and old. Old grass is bitter.
Symbolism
Hardship, pain, difficulty. Represents bitterness.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Cow grazing
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
悪戦苦闘
あくせんくとう
hard fighting; hard struggle; fighting against heavy odds; hard fighting
刻苦勉励
こっくべんれい
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships; being arduous
四苦八苦
しくはっく
being in dire distress; being hard put to it; being hard pressed (for money); being in dire distress
千辛万苦
せんしんばんく
many hardships; many hardships
無茶苦茶
むちゃくちゃ
nonsensical; unreasonable; absurd; nonsensical
粒々辛苦
りゅうりゅうしんく
toil and moil; working assiduously for; tireless hard work; toil and moil
艱難辛苦
かんなんしんく
trial and tribulation; hardships; privations; trial and tribulation
苦心惨憺
くしんさんたん
taking great pains; taking great pains
七難八苦
しちなんはっく
the Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains; a series of disasters; the Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains
愛別離苦
あいべつりく
the pain of separation from loved ones; the pain of separation from loved ones
難行苦行
なんぎょうくぎょう
penance; hardship; penance
苦学力行
くがくりっこう
strenuous pursuit of learning under difficulties; strenuous pursuit of learning under difficulties
困苦欠乏
こんくけつぼう
hardships and privations; hardships and privations
焦心苦慮
しょうしんくりょ
worrying oneself (about); being anxious (about); fidgeting (about); worrying oneself (about)
反間苦肉
はんかんくにく
stratagem for causing a rift in the enemy camp by using a seditious plot; stratagem for causing a rift in the enemy camp by using a seditious plot
刻苦精進
こっくしょうじん
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships; making a strenuous effort; being arduous
刻苦精励
こっくせいれい
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships; making a strenuous effort; being arduous
困苦窮乏
こんくきゅうぼう
hardships and privations; hardships and privations
辛苦艱難
しんくかんなん
trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles; trials and tribulations
辛酸甘苦
しんさんかんく
hardships and joys; tasting the sweets and bitters of life; being well-versed in the ways of the world (having seen much of life); hardships and joys
怨憎会苦
おんぞうえく
the pain of meeting people one dislikes; the pain of meeting people one dislikes
求不得苦
ぐふとくく
the pain of not getting what one seeks; the pain of not getting what one seeks
五陰盛苦
ごおんじょうく
pain caused by the five skandhas; pain caused by the five skandhas
抜苦与楽
ばっくよらく
a Buddha or Bodhisattva taking away suffering and conferring peace; a Buddha or Bodhisattva taking away suffering and conferring peace
Proverbs & Idioms
苦あれば楽あり
くあればらくあり
After hardship comes ease
Every cloud has a silver lining