苦

苦 U+82E6, 苦 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-82E6 ← 若 [U+82E5] CJK Unified Ideographs 苧 → [U+82E7]

苦 U+2F996, 苦 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F996 ← 芽 [U+2F995] CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement 𦬼 → [U+2F997]

Translingual

Stroke order

Mainland China and Japan

Han character

苦 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+6 in traditional Chinese, 艸+5 in mainland China and Japanese, 9 strokes in traditional Chinese, 8 strokes in mainland China and Japanese, cangjie input 廿十口 (TJR), four-corner 4460₄, composition ⿱艹古)

Derived characters

• 楛, 瘔

Additional Derived Characters

• 𠸋, 𡞯, 𭝩, 𢱗, 𤋼, 𥟾, 𱢵, 𨐡, 𨡱, 𤐞, 𧁹, 𩹜, 𱿁
• 𭵌, 𱽳, 𮏫, 𮐤, 𮐽, 𱾛, 𮑟, 𮒀, 𱾮, 𧁷, 𧃵, 𫊐, 𮓄, 𢝨, 𥯶, 𮤙

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1023, character 16
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 30797
• Dae Jaweon: page 1482, character 13
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3186, character 2
• Unihan data for U+82E6

• Unihan data for U+2F996

Chinese

trad.		苦
simp. #		苦
alternative forms		𡿵 𩇵 瘔

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 苦
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (古) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
箇	*kaːls
個	*kaːls
居	*kɯ, *kas
橭	*kaː, *kʰaː
嫴	*kaː
姑	*kaː
辜	*kaː
酤	*kaː, *kaːs, *ɡaːʔ
蛄	*kaː
鴣	*kaː
沽	*kaː, *kaːʔ, *kaːs
盬	*kaː, *kaːʔ
古	*kaːʔ
罟	*kaːʔ
估	*kaːʔ
鈷	*kaːʔ
詁	*kaːʔ
牯	*kaːʔ
故	*kaːs
固	*kaːs
稒	*kaːɡs
痼	*kaːɡs
錮	*kaːɡs
鯝	*kaːɡs
棝	*kaːɡs
凅	*kaːɡs
枯	*kʰaː
軲	*kʰaː
跍	*kʰaː
骷	*kʰaː
苦	*kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs
葫	*qʰaː, *ɡaː
餬	*ɡaː
瑚	*ɡaː
湖	*ɡaː
鶘	*ɡaː
猢	*ɡaː
醐	*ɡaː
糊	*ɡaː
箶	*ɡaː
蝴	*ɡaː
胡	*ɡaː
瓳	*ɡaː
怙	*ɡaːʔ
祜	*ɡaːʔ
岵	*ɡaːʔ
婟	*ɡaːʔ, *ɡaːɡs
楛	*ɡaːʔ
据	*ka
裾	*ka
琚	*ka
椐	*ka, *kas, *kʰa
鶋	*ka
蜛	*ka
崌	*ka
涺	*ka
腒	*ka, *ɡa
鋸	*kas
倨	*kas
踞	*kas
涸	*ɡaːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ) – bitter (as in bitter plants).

Etymology 1

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kaʔ (“bitter; salty”); compare Tibetan ཁ (kha, “bitter”), Tangut 𗎖 (*khie¹, “bitter”) (STEDT; Jacques, 2014). Within Chinese, cognate with 肝 (OC *kaːn, “liver”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): kǔ (ku³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄨˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ku³

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): kù

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): fu²

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): fu²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): fu²

• Gan (Wiktionary): ku³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): fú / khú

  (Hailu, HRS): fu^ˊ / ku^ˊ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): fu³ / ku³

• Jin (Wiktionary): ku²
• Northern Min (KCR): kǔ
• Eastern Min (BUC): kū
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kou³
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khó͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kou²

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): keu² / ku²

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): hu²
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵khu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): ku³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kǔ
    • Wade–Giles: kʻu³
    • Yale: kǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kuu
    • Palladius: ку (ku)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu²¹⁴/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ku³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: ku
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu⁵³/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: kù
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: fu²
    • Yale: fú
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fu²
    • Guangdong Romanization: fu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fuː³⁵/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: fu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fu³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: fu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fu⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: ku³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fú / khú
    • Hakka Romanization System: fu^ˋ / ku^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: fu³ / ku³
    • Sinological IPA: /fu³¹/, /kʰu³¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: fu^ˊ / ku^ˊ
    • Sinological IPA: /fu²⁴/, /kʰu²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: fu³ / ku³
    • Sinological IPA: /fu³¹/, /kʰu³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ku²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kʰu⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: kǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kou³
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: kô
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔu⁴⁵³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔu³³²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khó͘
    • Tâi-lô: khóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qor
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰɔ⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰɔ⁴¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kou²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khóu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰou⁵²/
  • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: keu² / ku²
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰɛu³¹/, /kʰu³¹/

Note:

• keu2 - vernacular;
• ku2 - literary.

• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: hu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hu³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵khu
    • MiniDict: khu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²khu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰu³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ku³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu⁴¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: khuX, khuH

Rime
Character	苦	苦
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	模 (23)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	康杜切	苦故切
Baxter	khuX	khuH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰuoX/	/kʰuoH/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰuoX/	/kʰuoH/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰoX/	/kʰoH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɔX/	/kʰɔH/
Li Rong	/kʰoX/	/kʰoH/
Wang Li	/kʰuX/	/kʰuH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰuoX/	/kʰuoH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	kǔ	kù
Expected Cantonese Reflex	fu2	fu3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kʰˤaʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰaːʔ/, /*kʰaːs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	苦
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ khuX ›
Old Chinese	/*kʰˁaʔ/
English	bitter
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	苦	苦
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	4242	4243
Phonetic component	古	古
Rime group	魚	魚
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	苦	絝
Old Chinese	/*kʰaːʔ/	/*kʰaːs/

Definitions

苦

1. bitter

   苦瓜  ―  kǔguā  ―  bittermelon

2. Alternative name for 荼 (tú, “bitter plant”).
3. difficult; painful; hard
4. hardship; suffering

   辛苦  ―  xīnkǔ  ―  laborious; hard; miserable

5. (regional) excessive
6. (transitive) to cause someone suffering; to give someone a hard time
7. to suffer from; to be handicapped by

   • 魏武曰：「人苦無足，既得隴右，復欲得蜀！」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     魏武曰：「人苦无足，既得陇右，复欲得蜀！」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 648 CE, Fang Xuanling (lead editor), Book of Jin

     Wèi Wǔ yuē: “Rén kǔ wúzú, jì dé Lǒngyòu, fù yù dé Shǔ!” [Pinyin]

     (Emperor) Wu of Wei said: "Men suffer from insatiability, already having Longyou yet still wanting to get Shu!"

8. (obsolete or Eastern Min) to worry about; to be concerned about
9. strenuously; painstakingly

   苦笑  ―  kǔxiào  ―  to force a smile

Synonyms

• (difficult): 難過／难过 (nánguò)
• (excessive):

edit

• 偏激 (piānjī) (thoughts, attitudes)
• 太甚 (tàishèn)
• 太過 / 太过 (tàiguò)
• 過分 / 过分 (guòfèn)
• 過度 / 过度 (guòdù)
• 過火 / 过火 (guòhuǒ)
• 過甚 / 过甚 (guòshèn) (literary)
• 過當 / 过当 (guòdàng)
• 過角 / 过角 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 過頭 / 过头 (guòtóu)

• (to suffer from): 苦於／苦于 (kǔyú)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “bitter”): 甘 (gān), 甜 (tián)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (苦):

• → Japanese: 苦(く) (ku)
• → Korean: 고(苦) (go)
• → Vietnamese: khổ (苦)

Compounds

• 一片苦心
• 不以為苦 / 不以为苦
• 不知甘苦
• 不苦歡 / 不苦欢
• 不苦詐 / 不苦诈
• 不辭勞苦 / 不辞劳苦 (bùcíláokǔ)
• 伶仃孤苦
• 何苦 (hékǔ)
• 作苦
• 何苦來 / 何苦来 (hékǔlái)
• 倒懸之苦 / 倒悬之苦
• 停辛佇苦
• 備嘗艱苦 / 备尝艰苦
• 備嘗辛苦 / 备尝辛苦
• 免苦錢 / 免苦钱
• 八苦
• 冥思苦想 (míngsīkǔxiǎng)
• 冥思苦索 (míngsīkǔsuǒ)
• 冤苦
• 冤苦錢 / 冤苦钱
• 分甘共苦
• 刻苦 (kèkǔ)
• 刻苦耐勞 / 刻苦耐劳
• 勞苦 / 劳苦
• 勞苦功高 / 劳苦功高 (láokǔgōnggāo)
• 勤苦 (qínkǔ)
• 匏有苦葉 / 匏有苦叶
• 千辛百苦
• 千辛萬苦 / 千辛万苦 (qiānxīnwànkǔ)
• 厭苦 / 厌苦
• 受苦 (shòukǔ)
• 叫苦 (jiàokǔ)
• 叫苦不迭 (jiàokǔbùdié)
• 叫苦連天 / 叫苦连天 (jiàokǔliántiān)
• 同甘共苦 (tónggāngòngkǔ)
• 同甘同苦
• 合苦
• 吃苦 (chīkǔ)
• 吐苦水
• 吃苦耐勞 / 吃苦耐劳 (chīkǔnàiláo)
• 吃苦頭 / 吃苦头 (chī kǔtou)
• 含辛茹苦 (hánxīnrúkǔ)
• 命苦 (mìngkǔ)
• 嘴甜心苦
• 嚥苦吞甘 / 咽苦吞甘
• 困苦 (kùnkǔ)
• 埋頭苦幹 / 埋头苦干 (máitóukǔgàn)
• 堅苦 / 坚苦 (jiānkǔ)
• 堅苦卓絕 / 坚苦卓绝
• 報苦窮兒 / 报苦穷儿
• 大苦
• 孤苦 (gūkǔ)
• 孤苦伶仃 (gūkǔlíngdīng)
• 孤苦無依 / 孤苦无依 (gūkǔwúyī)
• 孤苦零丁 (gūkǔlíngdīng)
• 害苦
• 家貧命苦 / 家贫命苦
• 寒苦
• 忆苦思甜 (yìkǔsītián)
• 怨憎會苦 / 怨憎会苦
• 恤孤念苦
• 恨苦
• 恨苦修行
• 患苦
• 悲苦 (bēikǔ)
• 悽苦 / 凄苦
• 愛別離苦 / 爱别离苦
• 愁眉苦目
• 愁眉苦眼
• 愁眉苦臉 / 愁眉苦脸 (chóuméikǔliǎn)
• 愁苦 (chóukǔ)
• 慳吝苦剋 / 悭吝苦克
• 憐貧恤苦 / 怜贫恤苦
• 挖苦 (wākǔ)
• 攢眉苦臉 / 攒眉苦脸
• 攻苦
• 攻苦食淡
• 救苦救難 / 救苦救难
• 春宵苦短
• 有苦難言 / 有苦难言
• 毒藥苦口 / 毒药苦口
• 氣苦 / 气苦
• 清苦 (qīngkǔ)
• 淒風苦雨 / 凄风苦雨
• 濟苦憐貧 / 济苦怜贫
• 濟貧拔苦 / 济贫拔苦
• 無邊苦海 / 无边苦海
• 煞費苦心 / 煞费苦心
• 犯顏苦諫 / 犯颜苦谏
• 甘瓜苦蒂
• 甘盡苦來 / 甘尽苦来
• 甘苦 (gānkǔ)
• 甜酸苦辣 (tiánsuānkǔlà)
• 用心良苦
• 病苦
• 疾苦 (jíkǔ)
• 痛苦 (tòngkǔ)
• 研精苦思
• 萬苦千辛 / 万苦千辛
• 窮苦 / 穷苦 (qióngkǔ)
• 脫離苦海 / 脱离苦海
• 自找苦吃
• 自苦 (zìkǔ)
• 自討苦吃 / 自讨苦吃 (zìtǎokǔchī)
• 艮苦冰涼 / 艮苦冰凉
• 良工心苦
• 良藥苦口 / 良药苦口 (liángyàokǔkǒu)
• 艱苦 / 艰苦 (jiānkǔ)
• 艱苦卓絕 / 艰苦卓绝 (jiānkǔzhuójué)
• 艱苦奮鬥 / 艰苦奋斗 (jiānkǔfèndòu)
• 芒芒苦海
• 苦不堪言 (kǔbùkānyán)
• 苦不聊生
• 苦中作樂 / 苦中作乐 (kǔzhōngzuòlè)
• 苦主 (kǔzhǔ)
• 苦事
• 苦人
• 苦修
• 苦刑 (kǔxíng)
• 苦力 (kǔlì)
• 苦功 (kǔgōng)
• 苦勸 / 苦劝 (kǔquàn)
• 苦參 / 苦参 (kǔshēn)
• 苦口 (kǔkǒu)
• 苦口婆心 (kǔkǒupóxīn)
• 苦命 (kǔmìng)
• 苦哈哈 (kǔhāhā)
• 苦啾啾
• 苦土 (kǔtǔ)
• 苦土肥料
• 苦地
• 苦境 (kǔjìng)
• 苦夏
• 苦多
• 苦子
• 苦孜孜
• 苦寒 (kǔhán)
• 苦寒行
• 苦工 (kǔgōng)
• 苦差事
• 苦幹 / 苦干 (kǔgàn)
• 苦待 (kǔdài)
• 苦心 (kǔxīn)
• 苦心孤詣 / 苦心孤诣
• 苦心焦慮 / 苦心焦虑
• 苦心積慮 / 苦心积虑
• 苦心竭力
• 苦心經營 / 苦心经营 (kǔxīnjīngyíng)
• 苦思 (kǔsī)
• 苦思惡想 / 苦思恶想
• 苦悶 / 苦闷 (kǔmèn)
• 苦惱 / 苦恼 (kǔnǎo)
• 苦憶 / 苦忆
• 苦戰 / 苦战 (kǔzhàn)
• 苦手
• 苦撐 / 苦撑
• 苦日子 (kǔrìzi)
• 苦旱 (kǔhàn)
• 苦李
• 苦果 (kǔguǒ)
• 苦楚 (kǔchǔ)
• 苦業 / 苦业
• 苦楝子 (kǔliànzǐ)
• 苦樂 / 苦乐
• 苦死 (kǔsǐ)
• 苦殺 / 苦杀
• 苦水 (kǔshuǐ)
• 苦求
• 苦河
• 苦活兒 / 苦活儿
• 苦海 (kǔhǎi)
• 苦海無涯 / 苦海无涯
• 苦海無邊 / 苦海无边
• 苦澀 / 苦涩 (kǔsè)
• 苦熬
• 苦瓜 (kǔguā)
• 苦瓜臉 / 苦瓜脸 (kǔguāliǎn)
• 苦瓠子
• 苦留
• 苦痛 (kǔtòng)
• 苦盡甘來 / 苦尽甘来 (kǔjìngānlái)
• 苦相
• 苦空
• 苦窳
• 苦竹 (kǔzhú)
• 苦笑 (kǔxiào)
• 苦等
• 苦節 / 苦节 (kǔjiè)
• 苦累
• 苦練 / 苦练 (kǔliàn)
• 苦繃苦拽 / 苦绷苦拽
• 苦肉計 / 苦肉计 (kǔròujì)
• 苦腦子 / 苦脑子
• 苦船
• 苦艾 (kǔ'ài)
• 苦苣
• 苦苦 (kǔkǔ)
• 苦苦哀求
• 苦苦相逼
• 苦苣苔
• 苦茶
• 苦茶油
• 苦荼 (kǔtú)
• 苦菜 (kǔcài)
• 苦著臉 / 苦著脸
• 苦薏 (kǔyì)
• 苦處 / 苦处 (kǔchù)
• 苦行 (kǔxíng)
• 苦衷 (kǔzhōng)
• 苦言
• 苦諫 / 苦谏
• 苦買賣 / 苦买卖
• 苦車 / 苦车
• 苦辛 (kǔxīn)
• 苦難 / 苦难 (kǔnàn)
• 苦雨
• 苦雨淒風 / 苦雨凄风
• 苦頭 / 苦头 (kǔtóu)
• 茹苦含辛
• 茫茫苦海
• 訴苦 / 诉苦 (sùkǔ)
• 貧苦 / 贫苦 (pínkǔ)
• 辛苦 (xīnkǔ)
• 辛辛苦苦 (xīnxīnkǔkǔ)
• 道傍苦李
• 酸甜苦辣 (suāntiánkǔlà)
• 零丁孤苦
• 顏苦孔卓 / 颜苦孔卓
• 顛連困苦 / 颠连困苦

See also

Basic tastes in Chinese · 味道 (layout · text)
甜 (tián)	酸 (suān)	鹹 / 咸 (xián)	苦	辣 (là)	鮮味 / 鲜味 (xiānwèi)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gǔ (gu³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gǔ
    • Wade–Giles: ku³
    • Yale: gǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guu
    • Palladius: гу (gu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku²¹⁴/

Definitions

苦

1. alternative form of 盬 (gǔ)

Further reading

• “苦”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
• “苦”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
• “苦”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–