刻苦

• Pinyin: kè kǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 刻 = 亥 + 刂 (knife); 苦 = 艹 (grass) + 古 (old)

Meaning

Hardworking; industrious; assiduous. Describes dedicated effort, especially in studies or training.

Emphasizes enduring hardship in pursuit of a goal. Highly valued in Chinese educational culture. Often used to describe students, scholars, athletes, or anyone engaged in rigorous self-improvement.

Examples

1. 她刻苦学习，终于考上了理想的大学。 She studied diligently and finally got into her dream university.
2. 运动员们刻苦训练，为比赛做准备。 The athletes trained rigorously to prepare for the competition.
3. 他从小就很刻苦，靠自己的努力改变了命运。 He was hardworking from a young age and changed his fate through his own efforts.

Usage Guide

Context: education, training, self-improvement

Tone: admiring

Do Say

• 他学习非常刻苦。(He studies very diligently.)
• 刻苦训练是成功的关键。(Diligent training is the key to success.)

Don't Say

• 这个工作很刻苦。(Don't use 刻苦 to describe a job — use 辛苦 or 艰苦; 刻苦 describes the person's attitude, not the work itself)

Origin & History

Compound of 刻 (carve/painstaking) + 苦 (bitter/hard). Together implies enduring hardship with dedication.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal