痛苦

• Pinyin: tòng kǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 痛 = 疒 (illness) + 甬 (phonetic); 苦 = 艹 (grass) + 古 (old, phonetic), originally a bitter plant

Meaning

Painful; agonising; suffering. Describes intense physical or emotional pain and distress.

Unlike 痛 which mainly refers to physical pain, 痛苦 often describes deep emotional suffering, mental anguish, or a difficult life experience. It can also describe severe physical pain. Used as both an adjective and a noun. Common in literary and emotional contexts.

Examples

1. 失去亲人是一件非常痛苦的事情。 Losing a loved one is an extremely painful thing.
2. 那段时间他过得很痛苦。 He had a very painful time during that period.
3. 她终于走出了痛苦的回忆。 She finally moved past the painful memories.

Usage Guide

Context: emotional, life experience, literary

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 分手让他感到很痛苦。(The breakup made him feel very agonised.)
• 痛苦的经历让她变得更坚强。(Painful experiences made her stronger.)

Don't Say

• 这道数学题太痛苦了。(Avoid using 痛苦 for minor frustrations — it describes deep suffering. For a difficult problem, say 太难了 or 太烦了.)

Origin & History

痛 (pain) + 苦 (bitter/suffering). Combining physical pain with the concept of bitterness creates a word expressing deep, often emotional, suffering.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal