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苦尽甘来 (kǔ jìn gān lái) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 7

苦尽甘来 (kǔ jìn gān lái) is a Chinese word: after bitterness comes sweetness. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 苦尽甘来

成语 chéng yǔ idiom

after bitterness comes sweetness

经过多年的努力，他终于苦尽甘来，实现了自己的梦想。

jīng guò duō nián de nǔ lì tā zhōng yú kǔ jìn gān lái shí xiàn le zì jǐ de mèng xiǎng

After years of hard work, he finally saw his fortunes turn and realized his dreams.

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Word breakdown

苦 kǔ — bitterness, suffering, hardship

Words with this character (17)
Show more (+12)

尽 jìn — exhaust, finish, come to an end

Words with this character (6)
Show more (+1)

甘 gān — sweetness, pleasant times

Words with this character (2)

来 lái — come, arrive

Words with this character (50)
Show more (+45)
Structure & writing
1 苦 kǔ — bitter (taste, opposite of sweet)

苦 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

1.1 艹 cǎo — grass/plant radical
艹 is a component in 92 characters
HSK 1
苹 píng see 苹果 (apple) 茶 chá tea plant (evergreen shrub with oblong leaves, white flowers, and hard-shelled seeds; young leaves are processed into tea leaves) 菜 cài vegetable; plant used as a side dish
HSK 2
花 huā flower (the reproductive organ of a seed plant, composed of petals, calyx, receptacle, and stamen) 药 yào medicine; substance that nourishes the body or treats illness
HSK 3
满 mǎn full; filled to capacity 草 cǎo grass; general term for herbaceous plants (excluding cultivated plants) 蓝 lán blue (like a clear sky) 蕉 jiāo banana, a long curved fruit with soft sweet flesh
HSK 4
艺 yì talent; skill 苦 kǔ bitter (taste, opposite of sweet) 获 huò to capture; to seize 萄 táo used in 葡萄: a deciduous vine with palmate leaves and small yellowish-green flowers, bearing round or oval berries (purple or yellow-green when ripe, juicy and sweet-tart), eaten as fruit or used to make wine; also the fruit of this plant 落 luò to fall; to drop down
Show more HSK 4 characters (+2)
著 zhù prominent; notable 葡 pú used in "葡萄" (grape; grapevine)
HSK 5
劳 láo to labor; human activity of creating material or spiritual wealth 宽 kuān wide; broad (opposite of narrow) 范 fàn (lit.) mold; model 茄 qié eggplant (茄子); herbaceous plant with purple flowers and purple, white, or green edible fruit 荐 jiàn to recommend; to introduce
Show more HSK 5 characters (+5)
荣 róng lush; flourishing (of plants) 营 yíng to seek; to pursue 蔬 shū vegetable; edible plant (mostly herbaceous) 薄 bó slight, little 藏 cáng to hide; to conceal
HSK 6
英 yīng (lit.) flower; blossom 菊 jú chrysanthemum, an ornamental herbaceous plant blooming in autumn with varied colors and shapes, some varieties used medicinally 菌 jūn microorganism (bacteria, fungi, mold, etc.); esp. pathogenic bacteria 蓄 xù to accumulate; to store up 薪 xīn firewood
Show more HSK 6 characters (+1)
薯 shǔ tuber plant: ①sweet potato (甘薯), also called 白薯, 红薯 or 番薯, with slender stems and edible tuberous roots; ②potato (马铃薯), also called 土豆 or 山药蛋, with edible tubers; ③[薯蓣] yam, also called 山药, with cylindrical edible roots, also used medicinally
HSK 7
卉 huì general term for various plants (esp. ornamental grasses and flowers) 瞒 mán to conceal the truth from others 艾 ài mugwort (perennial herb used in medicine and moxibustion; also called 艾蒿) 芒 máng a perennial herb (Miscanthus sinensis) growing in hills and fields, with linear leaves, brownish-yellow panicles in autumn, and hairy fruits 芝 zhī lingzhi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum), a fungus growing on dead wood with a reddish-brown glossy cap, used medicinally; regarded as an auspicious plant in ancient times
Show more HSK 7 characters (+55)
芬 fēn fragrance of flowers and plants 芭 bā see 芭蕉, a herbaceous plant with broad leaves; its fruit, similar to a banana, is edible 芯 xīn peeled rush pith; the central part of a plant 芳 fāng fragrant; sweet-smelling (of flowers and plants) 芽 yá bud; sprout (young shoot emerging from a seed or plant that can develop into a stem, leaf, or whole plant) 苍 cāng blue-green or cyan color 苏 sū plant name: ① purple perilla (紫苏), a herb with dark purple leaves, purple-red flowers, leaves and seeds used medicinally; ② white perilla (白苏), a herb with square stems, white flowers, roots, stems, leaves and seeds all used medicinally 苗 miáo seedling; tender shoots or leaves of certain vegetables 苛 kē burdensome, oppressive, hard to bear 苟 gǒu for the time being; temporarily 若 ruò as if; like 茁 zhuó sprouting; growing vigorously (of plants) 茂 mào lush, (of plants) growing abundantly and vigorously 茉 mò ﹝茉莉﹞ (-li) ① evergreen shrub with fragrant white flowers, used to scent tea ② four-o'clock flower (Mirabilis jalapa), an herb with red, white, yellow, or purple flowers; its starchy endosperm can be used as cosmetic powder 茫 máng vast and boundless, indistinct 荆 jīng chaste tree (a deciduous shrub with long-stalked palmate leaves, blue-purple flowers, and tough branches used for weaving baskets; branches formerly used as a flogging instrument) 荡 dàng to rock; to swing 荤 hūn pungent vegetables (onions, garlic, etc.) forbidden in Buddhism 荧 yíng (lit.) dim; faintly glowing 荫 yīn shade of a tree, shadow cast by branches and leaves in sunlight 荷 hé lotus 莅 lì (lit.) to arrive; to come to 莉 lì see "茉莉" — an evergreen shrub with oval or elliptical glossy leaves and fragrant white flowers, used ornamentally, for scenting tea, and medicinally 莫 mò (lit.) no one; nothing 莲 lián lotus (aquatic herb, also called 荷, with large round leaves, pink or white flowers, edible seeds and underground stem) 莹 yíng (lit.) a smooth, jade-like stone 莽 mǎng dense, thick grass 菇 gu a type of fungus; mushroom 菩 pú bodhisattva (–sà), abbrev. of Sanskrit 'bodhisattva'; in Buddhism, a being just below Buddhahood, broadly referring to Buddhas and certain deities 萌 méng (of plants) to sprout, to bud 萍 píng duckweed; aquatic herb floating on water surface with flat oval leaves and hanging roots 萎 wěi to wither; to wilt (of plants) 萝 luó creeping or climbing plant; 莪蒿 (a type of artemisia) 萧 xiāo desolate, bleak, lifeless 萨 sà a surname 董 dǒng (lit.) to supervise and manage 葬 zàng funeral rites; disposal of a corpse according to custom 葱 cōng scallion; green onion (a common vegetable or seasoning) 蒂 dì the stem end of a fruit or melon; the part connecting fruit to its stalk 蒙 méng ignorant, lacking knowledge 蒜 suàn garlic (herbaceous plant with white flowers; young leaves and flower stalks are edible) 蒸 zhēng to evaporate; (of liquid) to heat up and rise as vapor 蓬 péng fleabane, a biennial herb with willow-like toothed leaves and white-bristled achenes 蔑 miè (lit.) nothing, without 蔓 màn same as "蔓"（wàn）, used in compound words or idioms, e.g. "蔓草", "蔓延" 蔚 wèi (lit.) luxuriant; magnificent 蔼 ǎi friendly, amiable 蔽 bì to cover; to conceal; to block 蕴 yùn (lit.) to contain; to accumulate 蕾 lěi flower bud, unopened bloom 藐 miǎo small; tiny 藤 téng plant name: ① wisteria (紫藤), a climbing plant with purple flowers, commonly called 藤萝; ② rattan (白藤), an evergreen woody plant with long, flexible yet tough stems used for weaving chairs, baskets, and boxes, commonly called 藤子; ③ gamboge tree (藤黄), an evergreen tree with round fruit and yellow resin used as a pigment, but toxic and not for coloring food 藻 zǎo algae; aquatic plants lacking roots, stems, and leaves, capable of photosynthesis, e.g. red algae, brown algae, green algae, blue-green algae 蘑 mó edible mushroom (e.g. button mushroom, pine mushroom) 蘸 zhàn to dip into (a liquid, powder, or paste)
1.2 古 gǔ — ancient; of a bygone era, opposite of 'present'
古 is a component in 10 characters
HSK 3
居 jū to reside; to live 故 gù reason; cause
HSK 4
估 gū to estimate, to reckon approximately 姑 gū father's sister; aunt 苦 kǔ bitter (taste, opposite of sweet)
HSK 5
固 gù firm; sturdy 胡 hú ancient general term for northern and western ethnic peoples
HSK 6
枯 kū withered; dried out (of plants)
HSK 7
咕 gu onomatopoeia for the sound of a hen or certain birds clucking/cooing 辜 gū crime; guilt

Stroke order

2 尽 jìn — to finish; to be completed
Xpinyin

尽 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

2.1 尺 chǐ — chi, a traditional Chinese unit of length (≈33.33 cm; 10 寸 = 1 尺, 10 尺 = 1 丈)
尺 is a component in 3 characters
HSK 3
迟 chí slow, sluggish
HSK 4
尽 jìn to finish; to be completed
HSK 7
昼 zhòu daytime; the period from dawn to dusk (opposite of '夜')
2.2 ⺀ — graphic component
⺀ is a component in 6 characters
HSK 2
头 tóu head (of a person or animal)
HSK 3
冬 dōng winter (the fourth and coldest season)
HSK 4
尽 jìn to finish; to be completed
HSK 7
搀 chān to gently support someone (usually an elderly person) by the arm or hand 枣 zǎo jujube fruit; Chinese date 淤 yū to silt up; to become clogged with sediment

Stroke order

3 甘 gān — sweet, good-tasting (opposite of bitter)
甘 is a component in 6 characters
HSK 3
其 qí pronoun: ① he, they ② his, their ③ that, those 甜 tián sweet taste (like sugar or honey), opposite of bitter
HSK 4
甚 shèn very, extremely
HSK 5
某 mǒu a certain (person, place, thing, etc.); so-and-so
HSK 7
嵌 qiàn to inlay; to embed a smaller piece into a recess of a larger object (often decorative) 酣 hān drinking to one's heart's content

甘 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order

4 来 lái — to come (toward the speaker), opposite of 去
来 is a component in 1 characters
HSK 7
睐 lài (lit.) having misaligned pupils

consists of

4.1 未 wèi — not yet (opposite of 已)
未 is a component in 6 characters
HSK 1
妹 mèi younger sister (by blood or same generation) 来 lái to come (toward the speaker), opposite of 去
HSK 4
味 wèi taste; flavor perceived by the tongue
HSK 5
魅 mèi demon or spirit in legend
HSK 7
寐 mèi (lit.) to fall asleep; to sleep 昧 mèi confused; ignorant
4.2 丷 bā — divide/separate, the number eight
丷 is a component in 24 characters
HSK 1
关 guān to close; to shut 前 qián front; the direction one faces (opposite of 后) 半 bàn one half; half (used before the measure word when there is no whole number, or after when there is) 商 shāng to discuss, to consult with others 来 lái to come (toward the speaker), opposite of 去
HSK 2
旁 páng side; nearby
HSK 3
南 nán south (one of the four cardinal directions, opposite of north) 平 píng flat; level; even (like the surface of still water) 总 zǒng to gather together, to assemble
HSK 4
产 chǎn to give birth 并 bìng to merge; to combine into one 幸 xìng happy; fortunate 首 shǒu head; skull
HSK 5
善 shàn kind; benevolent; charitable (opposite of 恶)
HSK 6
兼 jiān doubled; combining two portions into one 夹 jiā to clamp; to press from both sides to hold something in place 帝 dì supreme deity or ruler of the universe in religion or mythology
HSK 7
兑 duì exchange (old gold or silver items for new ones at a jewelry shop) 兽 shòu beast; mammal (generally referring to four-legged, fur-covered mammals) 凿 záo chisel (a hand tool with a blade for carving or boring) 啬 sè miserly, stingy with money or possessions 逆 nì to go in the opposite direction (opposite of 顺)
Show more HSK 7 characters (+2)
邃 suì deep and distant (of time or space) 隧 suì tunnel; underground or mountain passage

Stroke order