Chinese Character Dictionary

苦心

kŭ xīn

painstaking effort

苦心孤诣

kŭ xīn gū yì

to make painstaking efforts (idiom); after much trouble

苦心经营

kŭ xīn jīng yíng

to build up an enterprise through painstaking efforts

苦思

kŭ sī

to think hard

苦思冥想

kŭ sī míng xiăng

to consider from all angles (idiom); to think hard

苦闷

kŭ mèn

depressed

苦情

kŭ qíng

wretched situation

苦恼

kŭ năo

vexed

苦战

kŭ zhàn

bitter struggle

苦杏仁苷

kŭ xìng rén gān

amygdalin

苦果

kŭ guŏ

lit. bitter fruit

苦根

kŭ gēn

underlying cause of poverty

苦楚

kŭ chŭ

suffering

苦楝

kŭ liàn

chinaberry (Melia azedarach)

苦水

kŭ shuĭ

bitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates)

苦况

kŭ kuàng

wretched state

苦活

kŭ huó

bitter work

苦活儿

kŭ huó r

erhua variant of 苦活[kŭ huó]

苦海

kŭ hăi

lit. sea of bitterness

苦海无边，回头是岸

kŭ hăi wú biān , huí tóu shì àn

The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore (idiom). Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering.

苦海茫茫

kŭ hăi máng máng

sea of bitterness is vast (idiom)

苦涩

kŭ sè

bitter and astringent

苦熬

kŭ áo

to endure (years of suffering)

苦瓜

kŭ guā

bitter melon (bitter gourd, balsam pear, balsam apple, leprosy gourd, bitter cucumber)

苦瓜脸

kŭ guā liăn

sour expression on one's face

苦甘

kŭ gān

bitter sweet

苦痛

kŭ tòng

pain

苦尽甘来

kŭ jìn gān lái

bitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times just beginning

苦竹

kŭ zhú

bitter bamboo (Pleioblastus amarus)

苦笑

kŭ xiào

to force a smile

苦肉计

kŭ ròu jì

the trick of injuring oneself to gain the enemy's confidence

苦胆

kŭ dăn

gall bladder

苦艾

kŭ ài

wormwood

苦艾酒

kŭ ài jiŭ

absinthe (distilled anise-based liquor)

苦苓

kŭ líng

chinaberry (Melia azedarach)

苦苣

kŭ jù

endive

苦苦

kŭ kŭ

strenuously

苦苦哀求

kŭ kŭ āi qiú

to entreat piteously

苦菊

kŭ jú

endive

苦菜花

kŭ cài huā

Bitter cauliflower, 194 socialist realist novel by Feng Deying 馮德英|冯德英[Féng Dé yīng] loosely based on Maxim Gorky's Mother, made into a 1967 film by Li Ang

苦荬菜

kŭ măi cài

Ixeris denticulata

苦蘵

kŭ zhí

cutleaf ground-cherry

苦处

kŭ chu

suffering

苦行

kŭ xíng

ascetic practice

苦行赎罪

kŭ xíng shú zuì

penance (to atone for a sin)

苦衷

kŭ zhōng

painful embarrassment

苦谏

kŭ jiàn

to admonish strenuously

苦趣

kŭ qù

wretched feelings (opposite: 樂趣|乐趣, delight)

苦迭打

kŭ dié dă

coup d'état (loanword)

苦集灭道

kŭ jí miè dào

the Four Noble Truths (Budd.), namely: all life is suffering 苦, the cause of suffering is desire 集, emancipation comes only by eliminating passions 滅|灭, the way 道 to emancipation is the Eight-fold Noble Way 八正道

苦难

kŭ nàn

suffering

苦难深重

kŭ nàn shēn zhòng

deep grief

苦头

kŭ tou

sufferings

苎

zhù

Boehmeria nivea

苎麻

zhù má

rush (tall grass)

苩

pā

old variant of 葩[pā]

苪

bĭng

bright

苫

shān

straw mat

苯

bĕn

benzene

苯丙氨酸

bĕn bĭng ān suān

phenylalanine (Phe), an essential amino acid