HSK · Level 64
105 words
Chinese word
残酷
Pronunciation
Pinyincán kù
Meaning
- adjectivecruel
Example
他的决定太残酷，我难以接受。tā de jué dìng tài cán kù wǒ nán yǐ jiē shòu
His decision is so cruel that I can hardly accept it.
More examples
孩子们害怕学校里残酷的惩罚。hái zi men hài pà xué xiào lǐ cán kù de chéng fá
The children are afraid of cruel punishment at school.
Core concept
A harsh lack of mercy that turns harm into the defining feature of an act or situation.
Common phrases
残酷的惩罚cán kù de chéng fá
cruel punishment
残酷的竞争cán kù de jìng zhēng
cruel competition
残酷的命运cán kù de mìng yùn
cruel fate
Similar words
残忍cán rěn: Willing to cause pain without hesitation or pity.
残暴cán bào: Violent and fierce in causing harm to others.
冷酷lěng kù: Showing little emotion or sympathy for other people's pain.
无情wú qíng: Lacking feeling and kindness toward other people.
Definition in Chinese
给别人或事物造成严重的伤害或痛苦，缺乏同情和怜悯。gěi bié rén huò shì wù zào chéng yán zhòng de shāng hài huò tòng kǔ quē fá tóng qíng hé lián mǐn
Word origin
The compound 残酷 (cánkù, "cruel") joins 残 (cán, "damage or ruin") and 酷 (kù, "extreme harshness"), linking harm with an unusually severe manner.
Usage tips
- For an unavoidable event or condition, Chinese can use this adjective to focus on the suffering it causes, while English often prefers "devastating" or "harsh" instead of "cruel".