含辛茹苦 (hán xīn rú kǔ) — to endure all sorts of hardships (especially in raising a family or supporting someone)

Definition

A formal four-character idiom meaning 'to endure all kinds of hardships', almost always about a parent or relative toiling to raise or support someone. Stronger and more literary than 辛苦 alone.

idiom
to endure all sorts of hardships (especially in raising a family or supporting someone)

Examples

  • 含辛茹苦，。
    Mǔ qīn hán xīn rú kǔ dì bǎ wǒ yǎng dà, wǒ yǒng yuǎn gǎn jī tā.
    My mother endured all kinds of hardships to raise me; I'll be grateful to her forever.
  • 含辛茹苦，。
    Tā hán xīn rú kǔ dì gōng zuò, zhōng yú gòng hái zi shàng le dà xué.
    He worked through all sorts of hardships and finally supported his child through college.
  • 含辛茹苦，。
    Zhè duì fū qī hán xīn rú kǔ jǐ shí nián, bǎ sān gè hái zi dōu péi yǎng chéng le yī shēng.
    This couple endured hardships for decades and raised all three children to become doctors.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

含辛endure hardship
含hánhold辛xīnbitterness
动宾Verb + object
茹苦taste bitterness
茹rúeat/endure苦kǔbitterness
动宾Verb + object

含辛 means holding hardship and 茹苦 means tasting bitterness, so the result is enduring all hardships.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
今
今jīn含hán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

含 is built from 口 (mouth) and 今 (jīn). The 口 part is about the mouth, while 今 gives the sound.

Open 含 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The oldest forms of 辛 drew a newly grown tree shoot. The shape was later also read as a sharp marking tool, but that reading may come from confusing it with another character.

Open 辛 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plants
Sound part声符shēngfú
如
如rú茹rú
Same sound today

茹 has 艹, the plant part, above 如, which gives the sound. Its original sense is plant roots or a part of a plant.

Open 茹 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ苦kǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 艸 shows grass or plants, matching the sense of bitter plants. The bottom 古 gives the sound.

Open 苦 →

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