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苦果 (kǔ guǒ) — bitter consequence (figurative); painful outcome that one must accept

Definition

Always figurative: the painful consequence one must face for a past mistake or wrong choice (literally 'bitter fruit'). Used as a single metaphor for 'reap what you sow,' not for literal food.

noun
bitter consequence (figurative)painful outcome that one must accept

Examples

  • ，苦果。
    Tā nián qīng shí fàn xià de cuò wù, rú jīn zhǐ néng zì cháng kǔ guǒ.
    The mistakes he made in his youth, now he can only taste the bitter fruit himself.
  • ，苦果。
    Gōng sī jué cè shī wù, zuì zhōng quán tǐ yuán gōng chéng dān le kǔ guǒ.
    The company's wrong decisions ultimately made all employees bear the bitter consequences.
  • 苦果，。
    Zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng dài lái de kǔ guǒ, ràng liǎng guó rén mín tòng kǔ le jǐ shí nián.
    The bitter fruit brought by this war caused the people of both countries pain for decades.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

苦kǔbitter
果guǒfruit

苦 gives bitterness and 果 gives fruit, forming a figurative painful outcome.

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 →

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

果 originally drew fruits hanging on a tree.

Open 果 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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