What does 苦 mean in Japanese?
苦 means “suffering, bitter, hardship” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 苦い (bitter), 苦しい (painful; difficult), and 苦手 (weak at; poor at).
For learners, the key is to study 苦 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.
Reading
On’yomi: ク (ku)
Kun’yomi: くる-しい (kuru-shii), くる-しむ (kuru-shimu), にが-い (niga-i)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 苦 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
苦 is not limited to one English translation. In 苦い (にがい), it means bitter; in 苦しい (くるしい), it points to painful; difficult; and in 苦手 (にがて), it is used for weak at; poor at. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.
Common Words
- 苦い（にがい / nigai） — bitter
- 苦しい（くるしい / kurushii） — painful; difficult
- 苦手（にがて / nigate） — weak at; poor at
- 苦労（くろう / kurō） — hardship
- 苦情（くじょう / kujō） — complaint
- 苦しむ（くるしむ / kurushimu） — to suffer
Example Sentences
-
この薬は少し苦いです。
このくすりはすこしにがいです。 / Kono kusuri wa sukoshi nigai desu.
This medicine is a little bitter.
-
走るのは苦しいですが楽しいです。
はしるのはくるしいですがたのしいです。 / Hashiru no wa kurushii desu ga tanoshii desu.
Running is hard, but it is fun.
-
私は数学が苦手です。
わたしはすうがくがにがてです。 / Watashi wa sūgaku ga nigate desu.
I am not good at math.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 苦い (にがい / nigai) because it keeps the core meaning of 苦 clear. Then add 苦しい and 苦手 to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 苦 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.
Summary
苦 means “suffering, bitter, hardship” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 苦い, 苦しい, and 苦手.