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苦痛 (くつう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

苦く痛つう

く

つ

う

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

pain; agony; suffering; distress

Refers to both physical and mental pain, often with a nuance of enduring or bearing the pain. Common in formal and written contexts.

彼かれは激はげしい苦く痛つうに耐たえている。

He is enduring intense pain.

その知しらせは彼かの女じょに大おおきな苦く痛つうを与あたえた。

The news caused her great distress.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉に苦く痛つうを感かんじるto feel pain/distress about something
彼かれは毎まい日にちの通つう勤きんに苦く痛つうを感かんじている。
He feels distress from his daily commute.
〈人ひと〉に苦く痛つうを与あたえるto inflict pain/suffering on someone
その言こと葉ばは彼かの女じょに大おおきな苦く痛つうを与あたえた。
Those words caused her great suffering.
苦く痛つうに耐たえるto endure pain
彼かれは手しゅ術じゅつ後ごの苦く痛つうに耐たえた。
He endured the pain after the surgery.
〈事こと〉が苦く痛つうを伴ともなうfor something to be accompanied by pain
この治ち療りょうは多た少しょうの苦く痛つうを伴ともないます。
This treatment involves some degree of pain.
苦く痛つうを訴うったえるto complain of pain
患かん者じゃは激はげしい苦く痛つうを訴うったえた。
The patient complained of severe pain.

Kanji

苦suffering, trial, worry
痛pain, hurt, damage

Related words· 6

痛いたみN4
痛み is the general word for physical pain or ache, while 苦痛 emphasizes suffering and can extend to mental anguish as well.
苦くるしみN2
苦しみ is a broader term for suffering or hardship implying a struggle, whereas 苦痛 focuses more on the sensation of pain or distress itself.
苦く悩のうN1
苦悩 refers specifically to mental anguish and inner turmoil, while 苦痛 covers both physical and mental pain.
病びょう苦く
苦痛 is a general word for pain or agony from any cause, while 病苦 specifically means the suffering that comes from being ill.

Show 2 more

苦く
苦痛 refers specifically to physical or mental pain and sounds more clinical, whereas 苦 is a broader, more literary term for suffering or hardship.
苦く渋じゅう
苦痛 is the broad word for pain or suffering (physical or mental), whereas 苦渋 specifically evokes a bitter, agonizing inner struggle, often literary.

Opposites

快かい楽らくN1
快楽 means pleasure or enjoyment, the opposite sensation to the suffering described by 苦痛.
至し福ふく
苦痛 means suffering or pain, the direct opposite of the transcendent happiness expressed by 至福.

Don't confuse with

苦く渋じゅう
苦渋 describes a bitter, conflicted feeling often tied to a difficult decision, while 苦痛 refers directly to pain or suffering itself.
悲ひ痛つう
苦痛 shares the kanji 痛 with 悲痛 but refers to pain or suffering in general (physical or mental), while 悲痛 is specifically sorrowful anguish.

Word family

精せい神しん的てき苦く痛つう
mental anguish; mental distress

Etymology

Compound of 苦 (ku, 'pain, suffering') and 痛 (tsū, 'pain, ache'). The combination reinforces the idea of severe or distressing pain.