苦

kǔ

HSK 4

苦 — kǔ

1. bitter (taste); acrid; unpleasantly sharp

   这杯咖啡太苦了，我要加点糖。 zhè bēi kāfēi tàikǔ le wǒ yào jiādiǎn táng — This cup of coffee is too bitter; I need to add some sugar.

2. hardship; suffering; bitterness (life experience)

   他经历了许多苦，才有今天的成就。 tā jīnglì le xǔduō kǔ cái yǒu jīntiān de chéngjiù — He went through many hardships before achieving what he has today.

3. to suffer; to experience pain or hardship

   我们不能任由人民受苦。 wǒmen bùnéng rènyóu rénmín shòukǔ — We cannot let the people suffer.

4. to cause suffering to; to make someone endure hardship

   他的自私行为苦了全家人。 tā de zìsī xíngwéi kǔ le quánjiārén — His selfish actions caused the whole family to suffer.

5. painstakingly; with great difficulty or toil

   他苦读多年，终于通过了考试。 tā kǔdú duōnián zhōngyú tōngguò le kǎoshì — He studied painstakingly for many years and finally passed the exam.