苦孜孜

kǔzīzī

adjective

Meanings

HSK 7-9

她苦孜孜地坐在角落，半天不说一句话。

Tā kǔzīzī de zuò zài jiǎoluò, bàntiān bù shuō yí jù huà.

She sat quietly miserable in the corner, not saying a word for the longest time.

HSK 7-9

孩子考砸了，苦孜孜的脸看着真让人心疼。

Háizi kǎo zá le, kǔzīzī de liǎn kàn zhe zhēn ràng rén xīnténg.

The child failed the test, his little sorrowful face is heartbreaking to look at.

usage

Mirror of 乐孜孜 - the same reduplicated 孜孜 gives a steady, absorbed quality, but the mood is one of quiet suffering rather than contentment.

苦 kǔ

孜 zī