苦

TranslingualEdit

Stroke order
Mainland China and Japan

Han characterEdit

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)

ReferencesEdit

KangXi: 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

ChineseEdit

trad.		苦
simp. ^#		苦
alternative forms		𡿵𩇵瘔

Glyph originEdit

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, OC *kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ) – bitter (as in bitter plants).

Etymology 1Edit

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *b-ka. Cognate with 肝 (OC *kaːn, “liver”).

PronunciationEdit

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): kǔ (ku³)

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄨˇ

(Chengdu, SP): ku³
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): fu²

(Taishan, Wiktionary): fu²
Gan (Wiktionary): ku³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): fú / khú

(Meixian, Guangdong): fu³ / ku³
Jin (Wiktionary): ku²
Min Bei (KCR): kǔ
Min Dong (BUC): kū
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): khó͘

(Teochew, Peng'im): kou²
Wu (Wiktionary): ²khu
Xiang (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/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: fu²
  - Yale: fú
  - Cantonese Pinyin: fu²
  - Guangdong Romanization: fu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fuː³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: fu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fu⁵⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: ku³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu²¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fú / khú
  - Hakka Romanization System: fu` / ku`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: fu³ / ku³
  - Sinological IPA: /fu³¹/, /kʰu³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: fu³ / ku³
  - Sinological IPA: /fu³¹/, /kʰu³¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: ku²
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kʰxu⁵³/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: kǔ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu²¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: kū
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu³³/
Min Nan
- (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/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: ²khu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰv̩ʷ³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: ku³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu⁴¹/

Middle Chinese: /kʰuoX/, /kʰuoH/

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	/kʰuo^X/	/kʰuo^H/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰuo^X/	/kʰuo^H/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰo^X/	/kʰo^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɔ^X/	/kʰɔ^H/
Li Rong	/kʰo^X/	/kʰo^H/
Wang Li	/kʰu^X/	/kʰu^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰuo^X/	/kʰuo^H/
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	‹ khu^X ›
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/

DefinitionsEdit

苦

bitter
苦瓜 ― kǔguā ― bittermelon
Alternative name for 荼 (tú, “bitter plant”).
difficult; painful; hard
hardship; suffering
辛苦 ― xīnkǔ ― laborious; hard; miserable
(regional) excessive
(transitive) to cause someone suffering; to give someone a hard time
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!"
(obsolete or Min Dong) to worry about; to be concerned about
strenuously; painstakingly
苦笑 ― kǔxiào ― to force a smile

SynonymsEdit

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

edit

Synonyms of 苦

偏激 (piānjī) (thoughts, attitudes)
太甚 (tàishèn)
不像話／不像话 (bùxiànghuà)
不成話／不成话 (bùchénghuà)

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)
過頭／过头 (guòtóu)

(to suffer from): 苦於／苦于 (kǔyú)

AntonymsEdit

(bitter): 甘 (gān), 甜 (tián)

DescendantsEdit

Sino-Xenic (苦):

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

CompoundsEdit

Derived terms from 苦

一片苦心
不知甘苦
伶仃孤苦
何苦 (hékǔ)
作苦
八苦
冤苦
冥思苦想 (míngsīkǔxiǎng)
冥思苦索 (míngsīkǔsuǒ)
分甘共苦
刻苦 (kèkǔ)
勤苦 (qínkǔ)
千辛百苦
受苦 (shòukǔ)
叫苦 (jiàokǔ)
叫苦不迭 (jiàokǔbùdié)
吃苦 (chīkǔ)
合苦
同甘共苦 (tónggāngòngkǔ)
同甘同苦
吐苦水
含辛茹苦 (hánxīnrúkǔ)
命苦 (mìngkǔ)
嘴甜心苦
困苦 (kùnkǔ)
大苦
孤苦 (gūkǔ)
孤苦伶仃 (gūkǔlíngdīng)
孤苦零丁
害苦
寒苦
恤孤念苦
恨苦
恨苦修行
患苦
悲苦 (bēikǔ)
愁眉苦目
愁眉苦眼
愁苦 (chóukǔ)
挖苦 (wākǔ)
攻苦
攻苦食淡
春宵苦短
清苦 (qīngkǔ)
甘瓜苦蒂
甘苦 (gānkǔ)
甜酸苦辣 (tiánsuānkǔlà)
用心良苦
疾苦 (jíkǔ)
病苦
痛苦 (tòngkǔ)
研精苦思
自找苦吃
自苦 (zìkǔ)
良工心苦
芒芒苦海
苦不堪言 (kǔbùkānyán)
苦不聊生
苦主
苦事
苦人
苦修
苦刑 (kǔxíng)
苦力 (kǔlì)
苦功 (kǔgōng)
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
苦待 (kǔdài)
苦心 (kǔxīn)
苦心竭力
苦思 (kǔsī)
苦手
苦日子
苦旱 (kǔhàn)
苦李
苦果 (kǔguǒ)
苦楚 (kǔchǔ)
苦楝子 (kǔliànzǐ)
苦死 (kǔsǐ)
苦水 (kǔshuǐ)
苦求
苦河
苦海 (kǔhǎi)
苦熬
苦瓜 (kǔguā)
苦瓠子
苦留
苦痛 (kǔtòng)
苦相
苦空
苦窳
苦竹 (kǔzhú)
苦笑 (kǔxiào)
苦等
苦累
苦船
苦艾 (kǔ'ài)
苦苣
苦苣苔
苦苦 (kǔkǔ)
苦苦哀求
苦苦相逼
苦茶
苦茶油
苦荼 (kǔtú)
苦菜 (kǔcài)
苦薏 (kǔyì)
苦行 (kǔxíng)
苦衷 (kǔzhōng)
苦言
苦辛 (kǔxīn)
苦雨
茫茫苦海
茹苦含辛
辛苦 (xīnkǔ)
辛辛苦苦
道傍苦李
酸甜苦辣 (suāntiánkǔlà)
零丁孤苦
不以為苦／不以为苦
不苦歡／不苦欢
不苦詐／不苦诈
不辭勞苦／不辞劳苦 (bùcíláokǔ)
何苦來／何苦来 (hékǔlái)
倒懸之苦／倒悬之苦
停辛佇苦／停辛伫苦
備嘗艱苦／备尝艰苦
備嘗辛苦／备尝辛苦
免苦錢／免苦钱
冤苦錢／冤苦钱
刻苦耐勞／刻苦耐劳
勞苦／劳苦 (láokǔ)
勞苦功高／劳苦功高 (láokǔgōnggāo)
匏有苦葉／匏有苦叶
千辛萬苦／千辛万苦 (qiānxīnwànkǔ)
厭苦／厌苦
叫苦連天／叫苦连天 (jiàokǔliántiān)

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

Mandarin
(Pinyin): gǔ (gu³)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄨˇ

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/

DefinitionsEdit

苦

Alternative form of 盬 (gǔ).

JapaneseEdit

KanjiEdit

苦

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

pain, anguish, suffering, discomfort, hardship, worry
(Buddhism) dukkha, suffering

ReadingsEdit

Go-on: く (ku, Jōyō)
Kan-on: こ (ko)
Kun: くるしい (kurushii, 苦しい, Jōyō); くるしむ (kurushimu, 苦しむ, Jōyō); くるしめる (kurushimeru, 苦しめる, Jōyō); くるしみ (kurushimi, 苦しみ); くるしむめる (kurushimumeru, 苦しむめる); にがい (nigai, 苦い, Jōyō); にがむ (nigamu, 苦む); にがみ (nigami, 苦み); にがめる (nigameru, 苦める); にがる (nigaru, 苦る, Jōyō)

CompoundsEdit

Compounds

苦土(くど) (kudo): magnesia, magnesium oxide
苦(く)無(ない) (kunai): a kunai
苦(く)茗(めい) (kumei): bitter tea

EtymologyEdit

Japanese Wikipedia has an article on:

苦

Wikipedia ^ja

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Dukkha

Wikipedia

Kanji in this term
苦
く Grade: 3
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 苦 (khu^X, “suffering”).

PronunciationEdit

(Tokyo) く [kúꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ᵝ]

NounEdit

苦(く) • (ku)

suffering
(Buddhism) dukkha

ReferencesEdit

^ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

KoreanEdit

HanjaEdit

苦 (eumhun 괴로울 고 (goeroul go))

Hanja form^? of 고 (“suffering, pain”).

CompoundsEdit

고민 (苦悶, gomin, “worry”)

VietnameseEdit

Alternative formsEdit

𦹵
𦹯

Han characterEdit

苦: Hán Việt readings: khổ
苦: Nôm readings: cỏ, khó, khủ, khổ, cô

ReferencesEdit

Lê Sơn Thanh, "Nom-Viet.dat", WinVNKey (details)

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

[1]

[2]

苦

Contents

TranslingualEdit

Han characterEdit

ReferencesEdit

ChineseEdit

Glyph originEdit

Etymology 1Edit

PronunciationEdit

DefinitionsEdit

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

DescendantsEdit

CompoundsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

PronunciationEdit

DefinitionsEdit

Further readingEdit

JapaneseEdit

KanjiEdit

ReadingsEdit

CompoundsEdit

EtymologyEdit

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

ReferencesEdit

KoreanEdit

HanjaEdit

CompoundsEdit

VietnameseEdit

Alternative formsEdit

Han characterEdit

ReferencesEdit