苦労

• Reading: くろう
• Romaji: kurou
• Kanji breakdown: 苦 (ku) — suffering, bitter; 労 (rou) — labour, toil
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ɾoː/

Meaning

Trouble; hardship; difficulty. The experience of struggling or toiling.

A suru-verb (苦労する) that conveys deeper, more sustained difficulty than 面倒. Often used to acknowledge someone's efforts or past struggles. ご苦労様 is a phrase used to thank someone for their hard work, though it is typically said by a superior to a subordinate.

Examples

1. 両親の苦労を思うと感謝の気持ちでいっぱいだ。 When I think about my parents' hardships, I'm filled with gratitude.
2. 外国で一人で生活するのは苦労が多い。 There are a lot of hardships when living alone in a foreign country.
3. 若いときに苦労した経験が今の自分を作った。 The struggles I went through when I was young made me who I am today.

Usage Guide

Context: life experience, work, empathy

Tone: empathetic

Origin & History

Compound of 苦 (ku, suffering/bitter) and 労 (rou, labour/toil). Together they describe the bitterness of hard labour and sustained effort.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal