孤苦

gūkǔ

adjective #33,870

Meanings

1 lonely and miserable
2 destitute and forlorn
3 alone with no one to rely on

Characters

orphaned / alone

bitter / suffering

Examples

他从小孤苦，靠亲戚抚养长大。

Tā cóngxiǎo gūkǔ, kào qīnqi fǔyǎng zhǎngdà.

He was alone and destitute from childhood, raised by relatives.

她不忍心看到老人孤苦无依。

Tā bùrěnxīn kàndào lǎorén gūkǔ wú yī.

She couldn't bear to see the old folks lonely with no one to lean on.

Tips

usage

孤苦 is more literary/emotional than 孤独 (gūdú, 'lonely'). It carries a stronger sense of hardship — not just being alone, but suffering because of it. Often appears in fixed phrases: 孤苦伶仃 (alone in the world) and 孤苦无依 (forlorn with no support).

memory

孤 = 'orphaned/alone' + 苦 = 'bitter/suffering'. Literally 'orphaned-bitter' = a life that's both lonely and hard.

Stroke Order

孤 gū

苦 kǔ