刻苦

• Pinyin: kè kǔ
• Desglose de hanzi: 刻 = 亥 + 刂 (knife); 苦 = 艹 (grass) + 古 (old)

Significado

Aplicado; trabajador; muy esforzado.

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.

Ejemplos

1. 她刻苦学习，终于考上了理想的大学。
2. 运动员们刻苦训练，为比赛做准备。
3. 他从小就很刻苦，靠自己的努力改变了命运。

Guía de uso

Contexto: education, training, self-improvement

Tono: admiring

Correcto

• 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.)

Incorrecto

• 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)

Origen e historia

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

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal