() — bitter (taste); hard, painful, difficult (life, experience, work)

Definition

Bitter (taste) and, figuratively, hard or painful (life, work, experience). 痛苦 focuses on emotional or physical suffering; 艰苦 stresses tough external conditions.

adjective
bitter (taste)hardpainfuldifficult (life, experience, work)

Examples

  • Zhè zhǒng yào hěn kǔ.
    This kind of medicine is very bitter.
  • Tā de shēng huó hěn kǔ, dàn shì hěn kuài lè.
    His life is hard, but he is very happy.
  • Tā gōng zuò hěn kǔ, měi tiān dōu hěn wǎn huí jiā.
    Her work is hard; she comes home very late every day.

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