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残酷

殘酷
cánkù
adjective HSK 7-9 #3,814

Meanings

  1. 1 cruel; brutal; ruthless
  2. 2 harsh; merciless (of reality, competition)

Characters

残
cán
cruel; savage; incomplete
酷
kù
cruel; harsh; cool (slang)
Cruel and harsh - brutally merciless.

Examples

HSK 4
竞争越来越残酷。
Jìngzhēng yuèláiyuè cánkù.
Competition is becoming more and more ruthless.
HSK 5
他受到了残酷的对待。
Tā shòudào le cánkù de duìdài.
He received cruel treatment.
HSK 6
战争是残酷的。
Zhànzhēng shì cánkù de.
War is cruel.

Tips

usage
残酷 describes both people's cruelty and the harshness of situations. Common collocations: 残酷的现实 (harsh reality), 残酷的竞争 (ruthless competition), 残酷的战争 (cruel war).

Stroke Order

残 cán
酷 kù