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苦

suffering
Stroke count: 8

Readings

On readingク
Kun readingくる.しい、-ぐる.しい、くる.しむ、くる.しめる、にが.い、にが.る
JōyōGrade 3
  1. to suffer
  2. to groan
  3. to be worried

Popular Usage

苦い苦痛苦労苦しい苦しむ苦情苦心苦しめる

Radicals and components

Radical艸grassComponents

Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

flowers (艹) · old (古) · tombstone · gravestone · church · ten (十) · needle (丨) · mouth (口)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 239

Compound words

苦いにがい
bitter
苦痛くつう
pain; agony; suffering; distress; torment
苦労くろう
trouble; hardship; difficulty; labour; labor
苦しいくるしい
painful; difficult; tough; hard; distressing
苦しむくるしむ
to suffer; to groan; to be worried
苦情くじょう
complaint; troubles; objection; grievance
苦心くしん
pains; hard work; effort; trouble; labour
苦しめるくるしめる
to torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt; to harass
苦境くきょう
difficult situation; adverse circumstances; predicament; trouble; dilemma
苦言くげん
candid advice; frank advice; honest opinion; exhortation; harsh but honest advice
苦手にがて
poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at); not one's cup of tea; not one's favorite
苦渋くじゅう
bitterness; distress; pain; anguish; affliction
苦笑くしょう
bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh; sarcastic laugh
苦戦くせん
hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
苦難くなん
suffering; distress; hardship; trial
苦悩くのう
(mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
苦味にがみ
bitterness; bitter taste
苦慮くりょ
racking one's brains; worrying oneself; being anxious
辛苦しんく
hardship; toil; trouble
病苦びょうく
pain of sickness
苦しみくるしみ
pain; anguish; distress; suffering; hardship
苦笑いにがわらい
bitter smile; wry smile; forced smile; strained laugh
ご苦労様ごくろうさま
thank you (for your hard work); I appreciate your efforts
苦肉の策くにくのさく
last resort; desperate measure taken under the pressure of necessity

Stroke Order

8 strokes

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 苦

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