Chinese word

辛酸

Pronunciation

Pinyinxīn suān

Meaning

  • nounhardship

Example

我尝过很多辛酸，也见过很多温暖。wǒ cháng guò hěn duō xīn suān yě jiàn guò hěn duō wēn nuǎn

I've experienced a lot of hardship and also seen a lot of warmth.

Illustration for 辛酸 (hardship)

More examples

这部电影真实地呈现了农村女性的辛酸往事。zhè bù diàn yǐng zhēn shí dì chéng xiàn le nóng cūn nǚ xìng de xīn suān wǎng shì

This film realistically portrays the painful past of rural women.

Core concept

The lingering taste of painful experience, combining emotional hurt with the hardships of living.

Common phrases

  • 吃尽辛酸chī jǐn xīn suān

    suffer great hardship

  • 辛酸往事xīn suān wǎng shì

    painful past

  • 诉说辛酸sù shuō xīn suān

    tell of one's hardships

Similar words

苦难kǔ nàn: Severe suffering that results from great misfortune or disaster.
艰辛jiān xīn: Long-lasting struggle and hardship affecting the body, mind, or daily life.
痛苦tòng kǔ: A very painful physical or emotional state that is hard to bear.
苦涩kǔ sè: A bitter feeling that remains after an unpleasant emotional experience.

Definition in Chinese

指经历过的艰难、痛苦或悲伤的遭遇，常用于概括个人在生活或感情上遭受的不愉快经历。zhǐ jīng lì guò de jiān nán tòng kǔ huò bēi shāng de zāo yù cháng yòng yú gài kuò gè rén zài shēng huó huò gǎn qíng shàng zāo shòu de bù yú kuài jīng lì

Word origin

辛 (xīn, "pungent and painful") + 酸 (suān, "sour") extends two unpleasant tastes into a figurative description of life that feels hard and emotionally painful.

Usage tips

  • The word fits a retrospective summary of years of work, family life, or a relationship, rather than a momentary complaint.

Other meanings

  • bitternessnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word