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苦尽甘来 (kǔ jìn gān lái) — (idiom) sweet comes after bitter; after suffering comes happiness

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'bitterness ends and sweetness begins' — used to describe how hardship is finally rewarded with happiness, often after a long struggle. Functions as a standalone reflection or comment on a situation.

idiom
sweet comes after bitterafter suffering comes happiness

Examples

  • ，苦尽甘来。
    Jīng lì le zhè me duō kùn nan, tā zhōng yú kǔ jìn gān lái le.
    After going through so many difficulties, he has finally had his hard times end and good times begin.
  • 苦尽甘来，，。
    kǔ jìn gān lái, Xiàn zài tā shì yè yǒu chéng, jiā tíng xìng fú.
    Sweet comes after bitter — now his career is successful and his family is happy.
  • ，苦尽甘来。
    Suǒ yǒu de nǔ lì dōu méi yǒu bái fèi, zhēn shì kǔ jìn gān lái.
    All the effort was not wasted; truly, after hardship comes happiness.

Origin

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
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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

甘 originally drew an open mouth with something sweet inside it. This gives the sense of sweet or pleasant.

Open 甘 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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