Usage of the character 苦

the eight distresses - birth, age, sickness, death, parting with what we love, meeting with what we hate, unattained aims, and all the ills of the five skandhas (Buddhism)

kǔlì

苦力

[苦力]

bitter work
hard toil
(loanword) coolie, unskilled Chinese laborer in colonial times

kǔyú

苦于

[苦於]

to suffer from (a disadvantage)

kǔshuǐ

苦水

[苦水]

bitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates)
suffering
digestive fluids rising from stomach to the mouth
fig. bitter complaint

kǔnàn

苦难

[苦難]

suffering

qīngkǔ

清苦

[清苦]

destitute but honest
poor and simple
spartan
austere

kǔmìng

苦命

[苦命]

hard lot
bitter fate
unfortunate

kǔnǎo

苦恼

[苦惱]

vexed
distressed

kǔjìng

苦境

[苦境]

grievance
dire straits

mìngkǔ

命苦

[命苦]

to be born under an ill star

bìngkǔ

病苦

[病苦]

pains (of illness)
sufferings (esp. in Buddhism)

kǔjú

苦菊

[苦菊]

endive

kǔliàn

苦练

[苦練]

to train hard
to practice diligently
hard work
blood, sweat, and tears

kǔyì

苦役

[苦役]

forced labor
corvée
penal servitude

kǔchāi

苦差

[苦差]

hard task
difficult mission
arduous and unrewarding undertaking
drudgery
grind
chore

kǔmèn

苦闷

[苦悶]

depressed
dejected
feeling low

dàokǔshuǐ

倒苦水

[倒苦水]

to pour out one's grievances

Kǔ Càihuā

苦菜花

[苦菜花]

Bitter Cauliflower, 1954 socialist realist novel by Feng Deying 馮德英／冯德英 ( Féng Déyīng) loosely based on Maxim Gorky's Mother, made into a 1967 film by Li Ang

kǔguāliǎn

苦瓜脸

[苦瓜臉]

sour expression on one's face

kǔ'àijiǔ

苦艾酒

[苦艾酒]

absinthe (distilled anise-based liquor)

kǔròujì

苦肉计

[苦肉計]

the trick of injuring oneself to gain the enemy's confidence
CL:條／条 (tiáo)

lühuàkǔ

氯化苦

[氯化苦]

chloropicrin

yìkǔfàn

忆苦饭

[憶苦飯]

unsavory meal taken in remembrance of past hardships
fig. poor-tasting meal

kǔrìzi

苦日子

[苦日子]

hard times

kǔbujī

苦不唧

[苦不唧]

slightly bitter

kǔhuór

苦活儿

[苦活兒]

erhua variant of 苦活 (kǔhuó)

kǔmǎicài

苦荬菜

[苦蕒菜]

Ixeris denticulata

chīkǔtou

吃苦头

[吃苦頭]

to suffer
to suffer for one's actions
to pay dearly
to burn one's fingers

èrbiànkǔ

二遍苦

[二遍苦]

second persecution

tónggānkǔ

同甘苦

[同甘苦]

to share joys and sorrows
sharing good times and hard times
same as 同甘共苦

tǔkǔshuǐ

吐苦水

[吐苦水]

to have bitter digestive fluids rising to the mouth
fig. to complain bitterly
to pour out one's sufferings

kǔdiédǎ

苦迭打

[苦迭打]

coup d'état (loanword)

kǔchāishi

苦差事

[苦差事]

see 苦差 (kǔchāi)

kǔhāhā

苦哈哈

[苦哈哈]

to have difficulty getting by
to struggle (financially etc)

dūnkǔyáo

蹲苦窑

[蹲苦窯]

(slang) to be behind bars

màikǔlì

卖苦力

[賣苦力]

to make a hard living as unskilled laborer

kǔzhōngzuòlè

苦中作乐

[苦中作樂]

to find joy in sorrows (idiom); to enjoy sth in spite of one's suffering

jiānkǔfèndòu

艰苦奋斗

[艱苦奮鬥]

to struggle arduously

kǔxíngshúzuì

苦行赎罪

[苦行贖罪]

penance (to atone for a sin)

kǔsīmíngxiǎng

苦思冥想

[苦思冥想]

to consider from all angles (idiom); to think hard
to rack one's brains

jiàokǔbudié

叫苦不迭

[叫苦不迭]

to complain without stopping (idiom); to bitch endlessly
incessant grievances

jiānkǔpǔsù

艰苦朴素

[艱苦樸素]

leading a plain, hardworking life (idiom)

kǔxīnjīngyíng

苦心经营

[苦心經營]

to build up an enterprise through painstaking efforts

kǔkǒupóxīn

苦口婆心

[苦口婆心]

earnest and well-meaning advice (idiom); to persuade patiently

rúkǔhánxīn

茹苦含辛

[茹苦含辛]

bitter hardship
to bear one's cross

qióngsīkǔxiǎng

穷思苦想

[窮思苦想]

to think hard (idiom)
to give sth much thought

qiānxīnwànkǔ

千辛万苦

[千辛萬苦]

to suffer untold hardships (idiom); trials and tribulations
with difficulty
after some effort

kǔjímièdào

苦集灭道

[苦集滅道]

the Four Noble Truths (Budd.), namely: all life is suffering 苦 (kǔ), the cause of suffering is desire 集 (jí), emancipation comes only by eliminating passions 滅／灭 (miè), the way 道 (dào) to emancipation is the Eight-fold Noble Way 八正道 (bāzhèngdào)
also called 四諦／四谛 (sìdì)

kǔkǔ'āiqiú

苦苦哀求

[苦苦哀求]

to entreat piteously
to implore

yōukǔyǐzhōng

忧苦以终

[憂苦以終]

worried to death (idiom)

ǎijiǎokǔhāo

矮脚苦蒿

[矮腳苦蒿]

see 熊膽草／熊胆草 (xióngdǎncǎo)

bèichángxīnkǔ

备尝辛苦

[備嘗辛苦]

to have suffered all kinds of hardships (idiom)

fǎngpínwènkǔ

访贫问苦

[訪貧問苦]

to visit the poor and ask about their suffering (idiom)

jiàokǔliántiān

叫苦连天

[叫苦連天]

to whine on for days (idiom)
to endlessly grumble complaints
incessant whining

kǔxìngréngān

苦杏仁苷

[苦杏仁苷]

amygdalin

kèkǔzuānyán

刻苦钻研

[刻苦鑽研]

to study diligently

yùxuèkǔzhàn

浴血苦战

[浴血苦戰]

a blood soaked and hard-fought struggle (idiom)

liángkǔyòngxīn

良苦用心

[良苦用心]

to ponder earnestly
to give a lot of thought to sth

zhuāngqióngjiàokǔ

装穷叫苦

[裝窮叫苦]

to feign and complain bitterly of being poverty stricken (idiom)

líkǔdélè

离苦得乐

[離苦得樂]

to abandon suffering and obtain happiness (Buddhism)

qīfēngkǔyǔ

凄风苦雨

[淒風苦雨]

lit. bleak wind and icy rain (idiom)
fig. hardships; miserable circumstances

gūkǔlíngdīng

孤苦伶仃

[孤苦伶仃]

solitary and impoverished (idiom)

hánxīnrúkǔ

含辛茹苦

[含辛茹苦]

to suffer every possible torment (idiom); bitter hardship
to bear one's cross

láoxīnkǔsī

劳心苦思

[勞心苦思]

to rack one's brains
to think hard

tónggāngòngkǔ

同甘共苦

[同甘共苦]

shared delights and common hardships (idiom); to share life's joys and sorrows
for better or for worse

Bìlǔkǔzhí

秘鲁苦蘵

[秘魯苦蘵]

Peruvian ground-cherry
cape gooseberry
Physalis peruviana

kǔnànshēnzhòng

苦难深重

[苦難深重]

deep grief
extensive sorrow

zìzhǎokǔchī

自找苦吃

[自找苦吃]

to bring trouble on oneself

zìtǎokǔchī

自讨苦吃

[自討苦吃]

to ask for trouble (idiom)
to make a rod for one's own back

àibiélíkǔ

爱别离苦

[愛別離苦]

(Buddhism) the pain of parting with what (or whom) one loves, one of the eight distresses 八苦 (bākǔ)

kèkǔxuéxí

刻苦学习

[刻苦學習]

to study hard
assiduous

píròuzhīkǔ

皮肉之苦

[皮肉之苦]

physical pain
lit. skin and flesh suffer

máitóukǔgàn

埋头苦干

[埋頭苦幹]

to bury oneself in work (idiom); to be engrossed in work
to make an all-out effort
up to the neck in work

chīkǔnàiláo

吃苦耐劳

[吃苦耐勞]

hardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)

yìkǔsītián

忆苦思甜

[憶苦思甜]

to view one's past as miserable and one's present as happy (idiom)

dàoxuánzhīkǔ

倒悬之苦

[倒懸之苦]

lit. the pain of being hanged upside down (idiom); fig. extremely critical situation
dire straits

chóuméikǔliǎn

愁眉苦脸

[愁眉苦臉]

to look anxious (idiom)
to look miserable

bùcíxīnkǔ

不辞辛苦

[不辭辛苦]

to make nothing of hardships

tuōlíkǔhǎi

脱离苦海

[脫離苦海]

to escape from the abyss of suffering
to shed off a wretched plight

qínxuékǔliàn

勤学苦练

[勤學苦練]

to study diligently
to train assiduously

kǔhǎimángmáng

苦海茫茫

[苦海茫茫]

sea of bitterness is vast (idiom)

kèkǔnǔlì

刻苦努力

[刻苦努力]

assiduous
taking great pains

xīnxīnkǔkǔ

辛辛苦苦

[辛辛苦苦]

painstakingly
with great trouble

míngsīkǔsuǒ

冥思苦索

[冥思苦索]

to mull over (idiom)
to think long and hard

shàfèikǔxīn

煞费苦心

[煞費苦心]

to take a lot of trouble (idiom); painstaking
at the cost of a lot of effort

liángyàokǔkǒu

良药苦口

[良藥苦口]

good medicine tastes bitter (idiom); fig. frank criticism is hard to swallow

suāntiánkǔlà

酸甜苦辣

[酸甜苦辣]

sour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot
fig. the joys and sorrows of life

zìshíkǔguǒ

自食苦果

[自食苦果]

see 自食惡果／自食恶果 (zìshí'èguǒ)

jiānkǔzhuójué

坚苦卓绝

[堅苦卓絕]

persisting despite trials and tribulations (idiom); conspicuous determination

xuéxíkèkǔ

学习刻苦

[學習刻苦]

to study hard
assiduous

bùshèngqíkǔ

不胜其苦

[不勝其苦]

unable to bear the pain (idiom)

kǔxīngūyì

苦心孤诣

[苦心孤詣]

to make painstaking efforts (idiom); after much trouble
to work hard at sth

míngsīkǔxiǎng

冥思苦想

[冥思苦想]

to consider from all angles (idiom); to think hard
to rack one's brains

gūkǔlíngdīng

孤苦零丁

[孤苦零丁]

variant of 孤苦伶仃 (gūkǔlíngdīng)

kǔbùkānyán

苦不堪言

[苦不堪言]

to suffer unspeakable misery
indescribably painful
hellish

kǔbujīr

苦不唧儿

[苦不唧兒]

erhua variant of 苦不唧 (kǔbujī)

qínfènkèkǔ

勤奋刻苦

[勤奮刻苦]

diligent
assiduous

kǔdàchóushēn

苦大仇深

[苦大仇深]

great bitterness, deep hatred (idiom); deeply ingrained long-standing resentment

kèkǔnàiláo

刻苦耐劳

[刻苦耐勞]

to bear hardships and work hard (idiom); assiduous and long-suffering
hard-working and capable of overcoming adversity

wànfēntòngkǔ

万分痛苦

[萬分痛苦]

excruciating

bùcíláokǔ

不辞劳苦

[不辭勞苦]

to spare no effort

yòngxīnliángkǔ

用心良苦

[用心良苦]

to ponder earnestly
to give a lot of thought to sth

kǔjìngānlái

苦尽甘来

[苦盡甘來]

bitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times just beginning

liánggōngxīnkǔ

良工心苦

[良工心苦]

expert craft from hard practice (idiom); hard-won skill
A masterpiece demands suffering.

zuǐtiánxīnkǔ

嘴甜心苦

[嘴甜心苦]

sweet mouth, bitter heart (idiom); insincere flattery

hóngjiǎokǔ'èniǎo

红脚苦恶鸟

[紅腳苦惡鳥]

(bird species of China) brown crake (Amaurornis akool)

báixiōngkǔ'èniǎo

白胸苦恶鸟

[白胸苦惡鳥]

(bird species of China) white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)

yǒukǔshuōbuchū

有苦说不出

[有苦說不出]

having unspeakable bitter suffering
(often used after 啞巴吃黃連／哑巴吃黄连 (yǎbachīhuánglián))

Huángtiānbùfùkǔxīnrén

皇天不负苦心人

[皇天不負苦心人]

Heaven will not disappoint the person who tries (idiom). If you try hard, you're bound to succeed eventually.

xiǎodòngbùbǔdàdòngchīkǔ

小洞不补大洞吃苦

[小洞不補大洞吃苦]

A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); a stitch in time saves nine

kǔhǎiwúbiān,huítóushì'àn

苦海无边，回头是岸

[苦海無邊，回頭是岸]

The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore (idiom). Only Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering.
Repent and ye shall be saved!

yǎbachīhuánglián,yǒukǔshuōbuchū

哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出

[啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出]

to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)
unable to speak of one's bitter suffering
sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，有苦說不出／哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出

chīdékǔzhōngkǔ,fāngwéirénshàngrén

吃得苦中苦，方为人上人

[吃得苦中苦，方為人上人]

one cannot achieve glory and wealth without having been through trials and tribulations (proverb)
no pain, no gain