苦役 (kǔ yì) — hard labor; penal servitude
Definition
Formal/literary term for forced or punitive hard labor, typically as a criminal sentence. Pair with the verb 从事 ('to engage in') or bear as 承受苦役.
noun
hard laborpenal servitude
Examples
- 苦役。Tā bèi pàn le shí nián kǔ yì.He was sentenced to ten years of hard labor.
- ，苦役。Zài zhè ge gōng dì, gōng rén měi tiān dōu yào cóng shì kǔ yì.At this construction site, workers have to do hard labor every day.
- 苦役。Nà xiē qiú fàn měi tiān dōu yào chéng shòu chén zhòng de kǔ yì.Those prisoners have to endure heavy hard labor every day.
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