苦く役えき

noun

toil; drudgery; hard labor

Refers to physically or mentally exhausting work, often with a nuance of suffering or hardship. Can be used for both literal labor and figurative burdens.

• 彼かれは毎まい日にちの苦く役えきに疲つかれ果はてていた。

  He was exhausted from the daily toil.

• その仕し事ごとはまるで苦く役えきのようだった。

  That job was like drudgery.

noun

penal servitude; imprisonment with hard labor

Dated legal term for a punishment involving forced labor. Modern Japanese law uses 懲役 (ちょうえき) instead. Still encountered in historical contexts.

See also: 懲役

• 昔むかしは重じゅう罪ざい犯はんに苦く役えきが科かせられた。

  In the past, penal servitude was imposed on serious criminals.

• 苦く役えきという刑けい罰ばつは現げん在ざいでは使つかわれていない。

  The punishment of penal servitude is no longer used today.