刻苦

kèkǔ

adjective HSK 7-9 #14,815

Meanings

1 hardworking; assiduous
2 painstaking

Characters

to carve; to engrave

bitter; hardship

Literally 'carving through bitterness' - the idea that hard work means enduring hardship.

Examples

HSK 1

她学习非常刻苦。

Tā xuéxí fēicháng kèkǔ.

She studies extremely hard.

HSK 3

只有刻苦训练才能取得好成绩。

Zhǐyǒu kèkǔ xùnliàn cáinéng qǔdé hǎo chéngjì.

Only through painstaking training can you achieve good results.

Tips

usage

刻苦 is always positive - it implies admirable dedication. The related phrase 刻苦耐劳 means 'hardworking and able to endure hardship,' a quality highly valued in Chinese culture.

Stroke Order

刻 kè

苦 kǔ