苦
suffering · trial · worry · hardship · feel bitter · scowl
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of grass and old. Old grass is bitter.
Symbolism
Hardship, pain, difficulty. Represents bitterness.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Cow grazing
Component Breakdown
grass + 古
Words & Expressions
Words written with 苦
Four-Character Compounds
悪戦苦闘
あくせんくとう
hard fighting; hard struggle; fighting against heavy odds
刻苦勉励
こっくべんれい
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships
四苦八苦
しくはっく
being in dire distress; being hard put to it; being hard pressed (for money)
千辛万苦
せんしんばんく
many hardships
無茶苦茶
むちゃくちゃ
nonsensical; unreasonable; absurd
粒々辛苦
りゅうりゅうしんく
toil and moil; working assiduously for; tireless hard work
艱難辛苦
かんなんしんく
trial and tribulation; hardships; privations
苦心惨憺
くしんさんたん
taking great pains
七難八苦
しちなんはっく
the Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains; a series of disasters
愛別離苦
あいべつりく
the pain of separation from loved ones
難行苦行
なんぎょうくぎょう
penance; hardship
苦学力行
くがくりっこう
strenuous pursuit of learning under difficulties
困苦欠乏
こんくけつぼう
hardships and privations
焦心苦慮
しょうしんくりょ
worrying oneself (about); being anxious (about); fidgeting (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
刻苦精進
こっくしょうじん
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships; making a strenuous effort
刻苦精励
こっくせいれい
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships; making a strenuous effort
困苦窮乏
こんくきゅうぼう
hardships and privations
辛苦艱難
しんくかんなん
trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles
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)
怨憎会苦
おんぞうえく
the pain of meeting people one dislikes
求不得苦
ぐふとくく
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
抜苦与楽
ばっくよらく
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
Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 苦 mean in Japanese?
苦 means suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter, scowl.
How do you read 苦?
On'yomi: ク (KU). Kun'yomi: くる.しい、-ぐる.しい、くる.しむ、くる.しめる、にが.い、にが.る (kurushii, gurushii, kurushimu, kurushimeru, nigai, nigaru).
How many strokes does 苦 have?
苦 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 艸 (grass).
Is 苦 a good kanji for a tattoo?
苦 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter, scowl. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.