TongTong
Sign in

痛楚 (tòng chǔ) — pain, suffering, anguish

Definition

Written/literary noun for 'pain, suffering, anguish,' usually emotional or psychological rather than physical. More formal than the everyday 痛苦.

noun
painsufferinganguish

Examples

  • 痛楚。
    Tā rěn shòu zhe jù dà de tòng chǔ.
    He endured great pain.
  • 痛楚。
    Nèi xīn de tòng chǔ ràng tā wú fǎ píng jìng.
    The anguish in her heart made it impossible for her to calm down.
  • 痛楚。
    Zhàn zhēng de tòng chǔ shēn shēn lào yìn zài rén men xīn zhōng.
    The suffering of war is deeply imprinted in people's hearts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

痛tòngpain
楚chǔsuffering

痛 (pain) + 楚 (suffering) gives pain and anguish.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
林林línforest; grove; woods
Sound part声符shēngfú
疋
疋pǐ楚chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form combined 林 (forest) with a part like a footprint, perhaps pointing to a place with a group of trees. In 楚, the lower part is written as 疋, which gives the sound and preserves part of that drawing.

Open 楚 →
Appears in
Illness & Symptoms

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.