疾苦 (jí kǔ) — suffering, hardships

Definition

A written, formal noun for the 'hardships and suffering' of a group (especially the people/百姓). It sounds literary and report-style, unlike everyday words for personal pain.

noun
sufferinghardships

Examples

  • 疾苦。
    Zhèng fǔ yīng gāi guān xīn rén mín de jí kǔ.
    The government should care about the people's suffering.
  • 疾苦。
    Tā jīng lì le zhàn zhēng de jí kǔ.
    He experienced the hardships of war.
  • 疾苦，。
    Zhǐ yǒu liǎo jiě bǎi xìng de jí kǔ, cái néng zhì dìng hǎo zhèng cè.
    Only by understanding the people's hardships can good policies be made.

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.

疾jísuffering
苦kǔhardship

疾 and 苦 both point to pain or hardship, so together they name general suffering.

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.

疾 combines 疒, showing illness, with a form showing an arrow flying toward a person, giving the sense of fast.

Open 疾 →

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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