苦

kǔ

bitter; hardship; pain

adjective HSK 3.0 · Band 4

Watch it being written

Every character draws itself, stroke by stroke. Then grab the brush: trace it yourself and hear the word when you finish.

苦

Build with these blocks

Chinese words snap together like bricks. Every word below shares a character with this one, so you are already halfway to knowing it.

苦
  • 辛苦xīnkǔexhaustingB4
  • 艰苦jiānkǔdifficultB5
  • 酸甜苦辣suān-tián-kǔ-là(lit.) sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idioB5
  • 痛苦tòngkǔpainB5
  • 吃苦chīkǔto bear hardshipsB7
  • 愁眉苦脸chóuméi-kǔliǎnto look anxious (idiom)B7
  • 何苦hékǔwhy bother?B7

See it in sentences

这药太苦了。

This medicine is too bitter.

他小时候很苦。

His childhood was hard.