苦

suffering

JLPT N3 Grade 3 8 strokes

Kun'yomi: くる・にが
On'yomi: ク

苦 means "suffering". It is a JLPT N3 kanji written in 8 strokes. It is read くる・にが in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ク in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 3.

Example word

苦くるしい

painful

Stroke order & writing

Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

苦 in example sentences

。
Mecha nigai.
It's very bitter.
人生じんせいは苦くなり。
Jinsei wa kunari.
Life is hard.
がなの。
Neko ga nigate na no.
I'm not good with cats.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, CC-BY 2.0 FR, licensed for reuse.

Words that use 苦

Common questions

What does the kanji 苦 mean?: 苦 means "suffering". It is a JLPT N3 kanji.
How many strokes does 苦 have?: 苦 is written in 8 strokes.
How is 苦 read?: It is read くる・にが in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ク in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 苦?: 苦 is a JLPT N3 kanji.

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