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苦难 (kǔ nàn) — suffering; hardship; misery

Definition

苦难 (kǔnàn) names suffering as a sustained condition of life — usually a noun for 'hardship' (e.g. 经历苦难, 人生的苦难). More literary than 痛苦 (which is an adjective meaning 'painful') and broader than 磨难, which leans toward trials one overcomes.

noun
sufferinghardshipmisery

Examples

  • ，苦难。
    Zài zhàn zhēng nián dài, rén men jīng lì le jù dà de kǔ nàn.
    During the war years, people experienced tremendous suffering.
  • 苦难。
    Tā yì shēng dōu zài yǔ kǔ nàn zuò dòu zhēng.
    He struggled against hardship all his life.
  • 苦难。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le dǐ céng rén mín de kǔ nàn.
    This novel depicts the suffering of the lower-class people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

苦kǔhardship
难nándisaster

苦 and 难 both carry hardship, giving the sense of suffering or misery.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.