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困苦 (こんく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
hardship ; privation ; distress
A somewhat formal or literary noun for severe difficulty, suffering, or lack of necessities. Can also be used as a suru-verb (困苦する) meaning 'to suffer hardship'.
He suffered from food shortages during the war.
Kanji 困 quandary, become distressed, annoyed Similar words 苦く 難なん 苦難 is more common and broadly covers trials and tribulations, while 困苦 emphasizes material privation or distress.
困こん 窮きゅう 困窮 is more common and often refers to financial hardship or poverty, whereas 困苦 is more literary and can include general suffering.
Etymology Compound of 困 (distress, trouble) and 苦 (suffering, hardship). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally conveys severe difficulty.
