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苦海 (kǔ hǎi) — sea of suffering (Buddhist concept); great hardship

Definition

A Buddhist term for the 'sea of suffering' — the endless cycle of worldly pain from which one seeks liberation (回头是岸). Often used figuratively for great, ongoing hardship.

noun
sea of suffering (Buddhist concept)great hardship

Examples

  • 苦海。
    kǔ hǎi Zhōng de rén men kě wàng jiě tuō.
    People in the sea of suffering long for liberation.
  • 苦海，。
    Tā jīng lì le duō nián de kǔ hǎi, zhōng yú zhǎo dào le rén shēng de yì yì.
    He experienced many years of sea of suffering and finally found the meaning of life.
  • 苦海，。
    Fó jiào suǒ shuō de kǔ hǎi, zhǐ de shì rén shì jiān de zhǒng zhǒng tòng kǔ.
    The sea of suffering that Buddhism speaks of refers to all kinds of suffering in the human world.

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kǔsuffering
海hǎisea

The parts give 苦 suffering and 海 sea, forming the image of a vast sea of hardship.

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 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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