苦 kǔ bitter
bitter; miserable
怎么记住“苦”: 艹 grass + 古 old = bitter. The kid chews a blade of grass from Grandpa's old garden, pulls a face and spits it out because it is so bitter.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
苦 = 艹 grass + 古 old
- 艹 grass meaning
- 古 old sound
The kid chews a blade of grass from Grandpa's old garden, pulls a face and spits it out because it is so bitter.
How it came to be
Grass gives the meaning and the part below the sound, for the bitter taste of some plants.
用法
- Bitter to the taste, and hard/miserable in life. 药很苦 (yào hěn kǔ) the medicine is bitter; 苦日子 (kǔ rìzi) hard times.
- 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) = toilsome/hard work: 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) is a warm "thanks for your hard work."
- 刻苦 (kèkǔ) = diligent through hardship; 吃苦 (chīkǔ) = endure hardship. 酸甜苦辣 (suān-tián-kǔ-là) = life's flavors.
含“苦”的词语
- 辛苦xīnkǔhardHSK 4
- 痛苦tòngkǔpainHSK 5
- 艰苦jiānkǔdifficultHSK 5
- 酸甜苦辣suān-tián-kǔ-làliterally sour, sweet, bitter and spicyHSK 5
- 何苦hékǔwhy bother?HSK 7
- 刻苦kèkǔhardworkingHSK 7
- 受苦shòukǔto suffer hardshipHSK 7
- 吃苦chīkǔto bear hardshipsHSK 7
- 苦心kǔxīnpainstaking effortHSK 7
- 苦笑kǔxiàoto force a smileHSK 7
- 苦难kǔnànsufferingHSK 7
- 诉苦sùkǔto grumbleHSK 7
- 埋头苦干máitóu-kǔgànto bury oneself in work (idiom)HSK 8
- 愁眉苦脸chóuméi-kǔliǎnto look anxious (idiom)HSK 8
- 挖苦wākuto speak sarcasticallyHSK 8
- 苦恼kǔnǎovexedHSK 8
- 苦尽甘来kǔjìn-gānláibitterness finishes, sweetness beginsHSK 9
- 苦涩kǔsèbitter and astringentHSK 9
例句
- 英国的啤酒比较苦。 Yīngguóde píjiǔ bǐjiào kǔ.English beer is rather bitter.
- 他的工作很辛苦。 Tā de gōngzuò hěn xīnkǔ.His job is very arduous.