wretched feelings (opposite: 乐趣, delight)
(coll.) miserable; wretched
absinthe (distilled anise-based liquor)
(slang) to be behind bars
(neologism, attested by 2024) to stubbornly endure hardships that need not be endured; to go out of one's way to make things difficult for oneself
1. physical pain2. lit. skin and flesh suffer
1. Peruvian ground-cherry2. cape gooseberry3. Physalis peruviana
1. to think hard (idiom)2. to give sth much thought
erhua variant of 苦不唧[kǔ bu jī]
penance (to atone for a sin)
装穷叫苦 裝窮叫苦 zhuāng qióng jiào kǔ to feign and complain bitterly of being poverty stricken (idiom)
to abandon suffering and obtain happiness (Buddhism)
1. having unspeakable bitter suffering2. (often used after 哑巴吃黄连[yǎ ba chī huáng lián])
白胸苦恶鸟 白胸苦惡鳥 bái xiōng kǔ è niǎo (bird species of China) white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
红脚苦恶鸟 紅腳苦惡鳥 hóng jiǎo kǔ è niǎo (bird species of China) brown crake (Amaurornis akool)
皇天不负苦心人 皇天不負苦心人 huáng tiān bù fù kǔ xīn rén Heaven will not disappoint the person who tries (idiom). If you try hard, you're bound to succeed eventually.
小洞不补大洞吃苦 小洞不補大洞吃苦 xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng chī kǔ A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); a stitch in time saves nine
苦海无边，回头是岸 苦海無邊，回頭是岸 kǔ hǎi wú biān , huí tóu shì àn 1. 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.2. Repent and ye shall be saved!
吃得苦中苦，方为人上人 吃得苦中苦，方為人上人 chī dé kǔ zhōng kǔ , fāng wéi rén shàng rén 1. one cannot achieve glory and wealth without having been through trials and tribulations (proverb)2. no pain, no gain
哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出 啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出 yǎ ba chī huáng lián , yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū 1. to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)2. unable to speak of one's bitter suffering3. sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出