苦しむ

• Reading: くるしむ
• Romaji: kurushimu
• Kanji breakdown: 苦 (ku/kuru) — suffering, bitter, painful
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ɾɯ.ɕi.mɯ/

Meaning

To suffer; to be in pain; to be troubled. Describes experiencing physical or emotional distress.

A Group 1 (godan) verb conjugated with the む row. Covers a broad range of suffering: physical pain, emotional anguish, financial hardship, or struggling with a difficult task. Often paired with particles に (cause of suffering) or で (means/reason). Related forms include 苦しみ (suffering, noun) and 苦しめる (to torment, causative).

Examples

1. 彼女は長い間病気で苦しんでいた。 She had been suffering from illness for a long time.
2. 借金に苦しむ人は少なくない。 There are quite a few people struggling with debt.
3. この問題の答えが分からなくて苦しんでいる。 I'm agonizing over this problem because I can't figure out the answer.

Usage Guide

Context: health, emotional struggles, literature

Tone: empathetic

Origin & History

From the adjective 苦しい (kurushii, painful/difficult) plus the verb-forming suffix む. The kanji 苦 depicts a bitter plant (草 + 古), representing bitterness and hardship.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal