Japanese word

苦

Pronunciation

Romajiku

Meaning

  • nounhardship

Example

努力して苦を乗り越えます。do ryoku shi te ku o no ri ko e ma su

I overcome hardship through effort.

Illustration for 苦 (hardship)

More examples

仲間と苦を共にして、目標を達成しました。naka ma to ku o tomo ni shi te moku hyō o tas sei shi ma shi ta

We achieved our goal by sharing hardships with our teammates.

Core concept

It points to pain or adversity viewed as an obstacle requiring persistence to overcome.

Common phrases

  • 苦を共にするku o tomo ni su ru

    share hardships

  • 苦を乗り越えるku o no ri ko e ru

    overcome hardship

  • 苦に耐えるku ni ta e ru

    endure hardship

  • 苦を味わうku o aji wa u

    experience hardship

Similar words

苦難kunan: A period of serious adversity involving continuing pain or difficulty.
苦労kurō: Difficulty and effort endured in order to achieve or manage something.
困難konnan: A problem or situation that requires considerable effort to resolve.
苦しみkurushimi: A state of physical pain or emotional distress.

Definition in Japanese

人が受ける痛みや、努力して克服する困難。hito ga u ke ru ita mi ya do ryoku shi te koku fuku su ru kon nan

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese word 苦 (ku, "suffering") uses a character whose core meaning is "bitter" and whose related sense covers the pain and hardship caused by difficult conditions.

Usage tips

  • The noun 苦 (ku) is often understood through surrounding words because it can refer to physical pain, emotional distress, or difficult circumstances.

Other meanings

  • painnoun
  • sufferingnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word