苦 (kǔ) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 苦 (kǔ) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 苦 (kǔ) means "Bitter / hardship". It is an HSK Level 3 character, with 8 strokes and the radical 艹.

Q: How do you write 苦 stroke by stroke?

苦 has 8 strokes. The radical is 艹. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 苦 and 兹?

苦 (kǔ) and 兹 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 苦?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 艹. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 苦?

Common words containing 苦 include: 辛苦 (xīn kǔ) — hard; laborious; toilsome.; 苦瓜 (kǔ guā) — Bitter melon; 痛苦 (tòng kǔ) — pain; suffering.

How to Write 苦

The character 苦 (kǔ) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 艹 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

Meaning & Pronunciation

苦 is pronounced kǔ in Mandarin Chinese. It means Bitter / hardship.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 苦 is an intermediate-level character.

Common Words with 苦

辛苦 xīn kǔ

hard; laborious; toilsome.

苦瓜 kǔ guā

Bitter melon

痛苦 tòng kǔ

pain; suffering

Example Sentences

你工作很辛苦。

nǐ gōng zuò hěn xīn kǔ

You work very hard.

苦瓜的味道很苦。

kǔ guā de wèi dào hěn kǔ

Bitter melon tastes very bitter.

他感到非常痛苦。

tā gǎn dào fēi cháng tòng kǔ

He feels very pained.

Similar Characters

兹 zī

艻 lè

芄 wán

Practice Writing 苦 (kǔ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 苦 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 苦

What does 苦 (kǔ) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 苦 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 苦 and 兹?

What mistakes do learners make writing 苦?

What common words use 苦?

How to Write 苦 (kǔ)