How common it is
苦 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say kǔ slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
苦可以用来形容事情或经历的艰难和辛苦。
kǔ kě yǐ lái qū míng shì qing nèi de jiān nán hé xīn kǔ.
The word '苦' can be used to describe the difficulty and hardship of things or experiences.
Context note
苦常用于描述工作、学习或生活中的艰辛。
kǔ cháng yòng yú miáo shù gōng zuò, xué xí huò shēnghuo zhōng de jiān xīn.
'苦' is often used to describe the hardships in work, study, or daily life.
5 examples
这道题真苦。
zhè dào tí zhēn kǔ。
This problem is really difficult.
他工作很苦。
tā gōng zuò hěn kǔ。
His work is very hard.
学习真辛苦。
xué xí zhēn xīn kǔ。
Studying is really tiring.
他妈妈每天都很苦。
tā mā ma měi tiān dōu hěn kǔ。
His mother works very hard every day.
这个任务很苦。
zhè ge rèn wu hěn kǔ。
This task is really tough.
5 mini stories
小明每天早上都要去公园跑步，虽然辛苦但很有益健康。
xiǎo míng měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu yào qù gōng yuán pǎo bù， suī rán xīn kǔ dàn hěn yǒu yì jiàn kāng。
Xiaoming has to go running in the park every morning. Although it's hard work, it benefits his health.
妈妈每天都很辛苦，但她很开心。
mā ma měi tiān dōu hěn xīn kǔ， dàn tā hěn kāi xīn。
Mom works very hard every day, but she is happy.
学习很苦，但也很有趣。
xué xí hěn kǔ， dàn yě hěn yǒu qù。
Studying is tough, but it's also very interesting.
他每天都很辛苦地工作，但他很满足。
tā měi tiān dōu hěn xīn kǔ dì gōng zuò， dàn tā hěn mǎn zú。
He works very hard every day, but he is satisfied.
这个项目很辛苦，但我们必须完成。
zhè ge xiàng mù hěn xīn kǔ， dàn wǒ men bì xū wán chéng。
This project is very hard work, but we must complete it.