含辛茹苦

hánxīnrúkǔ

idiom #32,053

Meanings

1 to swallow bitterness and eat hardship (idiom)
2 to endure all manner of hardships (often to raise a family)

Characters

to hold in the mouth

bitter; pungent

to eat; swallow

bitter; suffering

Examples

母亲含辛茹苦把我们三个孩子抚养成人。

Mǔqīn hánxīnrúkǔ bǎ wǒmen sān gè háizi fǔyǎng chéngrén.

Mother endured every hardship to raise the three of us to adulthood.

他含辛茹苦几十年，终于创办了自己的公司。

Tā hánxīnrúkǔ jǐ shí nián, zhōngyú chuàngbàn le zìjǐ de gōngsī.

After decades of hardship, he finally founded his own company.

Tips

history

From Su Shi's 《中和胜相院记》: '茹苦含辛，更百千万亿生而后成' — enduring bitterness and hardship through countless lifetimes before attainment. Classical register, strong emotional weight.

Stroke Order

含 hán

辛 xīn

茹 rú

苦 kǔ