noun
the Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains
Buddhist term referring to a specific set of calamities and sufferings. Rarely used outside religious or historical contexts.
仏教の経典には七難八苦が説かれている。
The Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains are expounded in Buddhist scriptures.
noun
a series of disasters; one misfortune after another
Figurative extension of the Buddhist term, used to describe a string of severe hardships or calamities in everyday life. Literary and somewhat dramatic.
彼は七難八苦を乗り越えて成功した。
He overcame a series of disasters and succeeded.
この一年はまさに七難八苦だった。
This past year was truly one misfortune after another.