苦力

• 拼音: kǔ lì
• 汉字拆解: 苦 = 艹 (grass) + 古 (old) — bitter; 力 = strength

含义

Manual laborer; coolie; hard physical work. Refers to people doing heavy labor or the work itself.

Historically referred to Chinese laborers who did heavy manual work, often under exploitative conditions. Today used more generally for hard physical labor or self-deprecatingly by those doing tough jobs.

例句

1. 在旧社会，码头上的苦力过着非常艰辛的生活。
2. 搬家那天，我一个人当了一天苦力。
3. 他开玩笑说自己在公司就是个干苦力的。

用法指南

语境: labor, self-deprecation, history

语气: informal

正确说法

• 今天干了一天苦力活。(I did manual labor all day today.)
• 别把我当苦力使唤。(Don't order me around like a laborer.)

错误说法

• 用苦力侮辱别人的职业。(Don't use 苦力 to insult someone's profession — it can be condescending; use it self-deprecatingly or historically)

起源与历史

Compound of 苦 (bitter/hard) + 力 (strength/labor). The English 'coolie' derives from this word.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Working class