Writing
苦 (kǔ) — how to say "bitter" in Chinese
苦
Bitter, hard
adjective
Radicals / Keys
艸
Grass
#140 · cǎo · 6 strokes
Collocations
苦日子
kǔ rìzi
hard times
苦药
kǔ yào
bitter medicine
Examples
他小时候家里的生活很苦，但是现在通过努力，日子过得很好了。
When he was a child, his family's life was very hard, but now through hard work, they live very well.
这药很苦。
This medicine is very bitter.
Frequently asked questions
Bitter in Chinese language
"bitter" in Chinese is 苦 (kǔ).
What does 苦 mean in English?
苦 (kǔ) means "Bitter, hard".
Bitter in Chinese pinyin
It is pronounced kǔ (written as ku). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "bitter" in Chinese characters?
It is written 苦 and has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 苦?
苦 belongs to the HSK 4 vocabulary list.
Tomyo
Learn Chinese words with spaced repetition
Add 苦 to your vocabulary and remember it with smart reviews, audio and examples.