苦杯をなめる · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 苦杯をなめる | 苦杯をなめない |
| Polite | 苦杯をなめます | 苦杯をなめません |
| Past polite | 苦杯をなめました | 苦杯をなめませんでした |
| Past | 苦杯をなめた | 苦杯をなめなかった |
| Te-form | 苦杯をなめて | 苦杯をなめないで |
| Desire | 苦杯をなめたい | 苦杯をなめたくない |
| Potential | 苦杯をなめられるalso 苦杯をなめれる | 苦杯をなめられないalso 苦杯をなめれない |
| Passive | 苦杯をなめられる | 苦杯をなめられない |
| Causative | 苦杯をなめさせる | 苦杯をなめさせない |
| Causative passive | 苦杯をなめさせられる | 苦杯をなめさせられない |
| Volitional | 苦杯をなめよう | |
| Polite volitional | 苦杯をなめましょう | |
| Imperative | 苦杯をなめろ | 苦杯をなめるな |
| Conditional | 苦杯をなめれば | 苦杯をなめなければ |
| Tara conditional | 苦杯をなめたら | 苦杯をなめなかったら |
drink a bitter cup; have a bitter experience; suffer a defeat
Idiomatic expression for enduring a humiliating or painful setback, often in competition or conflict. The literal image is of drinking from a bitter cup.
He suffered a bitter defeat in the election.
Sometimes you have to swallow a bitter pill in negotiations.