残酷

殘酷

cánkù

adjective HSK 6 #3,814

Meanings

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

Characters

cruel; savage; incomplete

cruel; harsh; cool (slang)

Cruel and harsh — brutally merciless.

Examples

战争是残酷的。

Zhànzhēng shì cánkù de.

War is cruel.

现实很残酷。

Xiànshí hěn cánkù.

Reality is harsh.

他受到了残酷的对待。

Tā shòu dào le cánkù de duìdài.

He received cruel treatment.

竞争越来越残酷。

Jìngzhēng yuè lái yuè cánkù.

Competition is becoming more and more ruthless.

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