吃苦

chīkǔ

verb HSK 7-9 #31,509

Meanings

1 to endure hardship; to bear suffering

Characters

to eat; to endure

bitter; hardship

Literally 'to eat bitterness' — hardship as something you physically consume and digest.

Examples

吃得苦中苦，方为人上人。

Chī de kǔ zhōng kǔ, fāng wéirén shàng rén.

Only by enduring the bitterest hardship can you rise above others.

他从小就能吃苦。

Tā cóngxiǎo jiù néng chīkǔ.

He's been able to endure hardship since childhood.

年轻人要吃苦耐劳。

Niánqīngrén yào chīkǔnàiláo.

Young people should be hardworking and enduring.

Tips

culture

能吃苦 ('able to eat bitterness') is one of the highest compliments in Chinese work culture. The concept is deeply Confucian — suffering builds character. 吃苦耐劳 (chīkǔ-nàiláo) is practically a required phrase on Chinese resumes.

Stroke Order

吃 chī

苦 kǔ