苦涩 (kǔ sè) — bitter and astringent (in taste); bitter, painful, agonizing (in emotion or experience)
Definition
苦涩 pairs a physical taste (bitter + astringent) with the emotional sense of painful, restrained feeling. 苦 covers both senses too, but 苦涩 leans more toward the inner emotional 'bitterness' — a sad smile, painful memories.
adjective
bitter and astringent (in taste)bitterpainfulagonizing (in emotion or experience)
Examples
- 苦涩。Zhè zhǒng cǎo yào de wèi dào hěn kǔ sè.This kind of herbal medicine has a very bitter and astringent taste.
- 苦涩，。Shuō qǐ nà duàn kǔ sè de wǎng shì, tā rěn bú zhù liú xià le yǎn lèi.Speaking of those painful memories, he couldn't help but shed tears.
- 苦涩，。Tā liǎn shàng dài zhe kǔ sè de wēi xiào, shén me dōu méi yǒu shuō.There was a bitter smile on her face, and she said nothing.
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