辛酸

xīnsuān

adjective HSK 7-9 #34,818

Meanings

1 bitter; miserable
2 sad and painful (life experiences)

Characters

pungent; bitter; toilsome

sour; aching; sad

Examples

她讲述了自己辛酸的童年。

Tā jiǎngshù le zìjǐ xīnsuān de tóngnián.

She told the story of her bitter childhood.

回想起那段辛酸的日子，他忍不住流泪。

Huíxiǎng qǐ nàduàn xīnsuān de rìzi, tā rěnbuzhù liúlèi.

Thinking back to those miserable days, he couldn't help but shed tears.

Tips

memory

辛 (pungent/bitter) + 酸 (sour) — a combination of two unpleasant tastes used as a metaphor for hardship and sorrow.

Stroke Order

辛 xīn

酸 suān