suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter, scowl
苦 centers on a bitter, difficult experience: suffering, hardship, and worry. The scowl and feeling bitter are natural outward signs of that inner distress.
苦 combines 艹 (plant) and 古 (old), suggesting the bitter taste of old plants or herbs. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the association with bitterness is well established.
Old plants 古 under the grass 艹 taste bitter and bring suffering. Imagine chewing an ancient, dried-up herb and scowling at the hardship.
For ク, picture a bitter herb so harsh it makes you say 'coo!' in disgust: coo -> ク, and the old plant brings suffering.
poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at)
trouble; hardship; difficulty; labour; labor; toil; pains
painful; difficult; tough; hard
absurd; unreasonable; nonsensical; preposterous; incoherent
to suffer; to groan; to be worried
pain; agony; suffering; distress; torment
pain; anguish; distress; suffering; hardship
complaint; troubles; objection; grievance
to torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt
hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
(mental) agony; anguish; suffering; distress
bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh; sarcastic laugh
bitter
nonsensical; unreasonable; absurd; unrealistic
candid advice; frank advice; honest opinion; exhortation; harsh but honest advice
suffering; distress; hardship; trial
difficult situation; adverse circumstances; predicament; trouble; dilemma; distress
unsightly; ugly; unseemly; indecent; deplorable; disgraceful; shameful
bitter smile; wry smile; forced smile; strained laugh
bitterness; bitter taste
bitterness; distress; pain; anguish; affliction
pains; hard work; effort; trouble; labour; labor
racking one's brains; worrying oneself; being anxious
last resort; desperate measure taken under the pressure of necessity