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Dictionary
HSK 4
苦

HSK 4adjectiveverb

苦

kǔ

苦 (kǔ) means “bitter; hardship; pain; to suffer; to bring suffering to; painstakingly”. It is an HSK 4 Chinese character in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

Stroke order

Practice writingUnlock HSK 4 required

Example

这个药很苦。

Zhège yào hěn kǔ.

This medicine is bitter.

Words containing 苦

吃苦chī kǔto bear hardships 艰苦jiān kǔdifficult; hard; arduous 辛苦xīn kǔexhausting; hard; tough; arduous; to work hard; to go to a lot of trouble; hardship(s)刻苦kè kǔhardworking; assiduous 痛苦tòng kǔpain; suffering; painful 苦尽甘来kǔ jìn gān láibitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times just beginning 苦涩kǔ sèbitter and astringent; pained; agonized 酸甜苦辣suān tián kǔ làsour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot; fig. the joys and sorrows of life

More HSK 4 vocabulary

爱情ài qíngromance; love (romantic)安排ān páito arrange; to plan; to set up; arrangements; plans 安全ān quánsafe; secure; safety; security 按时àn shíon time; before deadline; on schedule 按照àn zhàoaccording to; in accordance with; in the light of; on the basis of 百分之bǎi fēn zhīpercent 棒bàngstick; club; cudgel; smart; capable; strong; wonderful; classifier for legs of a relay race 包子bāo zibao (steamed stuffed bun)保护bǎo hùto protect; to defend; to safeguard; protection 保证bǎo zhèngguarantee; to guarantee; to ensure; to safeguard; to pledge 报名bào míngto sign up; to enter one's name; to apply; to register; to enroll; to enlist 抱bàoto hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug; to embrace; to surround; to cherish; (coll.) (of clothes) to fit nicely

Frequently asked questions

What does 苦 mean?: 苦 (kǔ) means “bitter; hardship; pain; to suffer; to bring suffering to; painstakingly”. It is an HSK 4 word.
How is 苦 pronounced?: 苦 is pronounced “kǔ” in pinyin.
What HSK level is 苦?: 苦 belongs to HSK 4 in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.
How do you write 苦?: Follow the stroke-order animation above; 苦 is written using standard stroke order. Practice it in the writing trainer.

Updated: 2026-05-27