Writing
残酷 (cán kù) — how to say "cruel" in Chinese
残酷
Cruel, ruthless
adjective
Character composition
残
cruel, remnant
酷
cruel, cool
Radicals / Keys
歹
Death
#78 · dǎi · 4 strokes
酉
Wine
#164 · yǒu · 7 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
残酷的现实
cán kù de xiàn shí
cruel reality
残酷的战争
cán kù de zhàn zhēng
cruel war
Examples
现实世界有时非常残酷，让人难以接受。
The real world can sometimes be very cruel and hard to accept.
战争很残酷。
War is very cruel.
Frequently asked questions
Cruel meaning in Chinese
"cruel" in Chinese is 残酷 (cán kù).
残酷 meaning in English
残酷 (cán kù) means "Cruel, ruthless".
How is 残酷 pronounced?
It is pronounced cán kù (written as can ku, canku). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "cruel" in Chinese characters?
It is written 残酷: 残 has 9 strokes, 酷 has 14 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 残酷?
残酷 belongs to the HSK 6 vocabulary list.
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