苦瓜 kǔ guā bitter melon (bitter gourd, balsam pear, balsam apple, leprosy gourd, bitter cucumber) 辛酸 xīn suān pungent (taste) / bitter / fig. sad / miserable syn 苦水 kǔ shuǐ bitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates) / suffering / digestive fluids rising from stomach to the mouth / fig. bitter complaint syn 苦口 kǔ kǒu lit. bitter taste (cf good medicine tastes bitter 良藥苦口|良药苦口) / fig. earnestly (of warning, advice) syn 可歌可泣 kě gē kě qì lit. you can sing or you can cry (idiom) / fig. deeply moving / happy and sad / inspiring and tragic syn 凄婉 淒婉 qī wǎn melancholy / moving and sad / sweet and piteous syn 形影相吊 形影相弔 xíng yǐng xiāng diào with only body and shadow to comfort each other (idiom) / extremely sad and lonely syn 酸甜苦辣 suān tián kǔ là sour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot / fig. the joys and sorrows of life syn 痛心疾首 tòng xīn jí shǒu bitter and hateful (idiom) / to grieve and lament (over sth) syn 酸甜苦辣 suān - tián - kǔ - là lit. sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom) / fig. all kinds of flavors / the joys and sorrows of life syn 凄美 淒美 qī měi poignant / sad and beautiful syn 哀婉 āi wǎn (esp. of poetry, music) melancholy / sad and moving syn 苦涩 苦澀 kǔ sè bitter and astringent / pained / agonized syn 食荼卧棘 食荼臥棘 shí tú wò jí to eat bitter fruit and lie on thorns (idiom) / to share the hard life of the common people 咸涩 鹹澀 xián sè salty and bitter / acerbic 不幸 bù xìng misfortune / adversity / unfortunate / sad / unfortunately / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 难过 難過 nán guò to feel sad / to feel unwell / (of life) to be difficult syn 悲伤 悲傷 bēi shāng sad / sorrowful syn 伤感 傷感 shāng gǎn sad / emotional / sentimental / pathos syn 黯然 àn rán dim / sad syn 心酸 xīn suān to feel sad syn 发愁 發愁 fā chóu to worry / to fret / to be anxious / to become sad syn 感伤 感傷 gǎn shāng sad / downhearted / sentimental / pathos / melancholy syn 倍感 bèi gǎn to feel even more (lonely etc) / to be extremely (sad, delighted etc) syn 伤悲 傷悲 shāng bēi sad / sorrowful (literary) syn 噩耗 è hào news of sb's death / sad news syn 悲歌 bēi gē to sing with solemn fervor / sad, stirring song / elegy / dirge / threnody syn 可叹 可嘆 kě tàn lamentable / sad(ly) syn 凄楚 qī chǔ sad / wretched / miserable syn 缠绵悱恻 纏綿悱惻 chán mián fěi cè (of a person) sad beyond words (idiom) / (of music, literature etc) poignant / very sentimental syn 让 讓 ràng to yield / to permit / to let sb do sth / to have sb do sth / to make sb (feel sad etc) / by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like 被[bei4]) syn 离歌 離歌 lí gē (sad) farewell song 悲 bēi sad / sadness / sorrow / grief syn 悄 qiǎo quiet / sad 凄 淒 qī intense cold / frigid / dismal / grim / bleak / sad / mournful 忡 chōng grieved / distressed / sad / uneasy 怆 愴 chuàng mournful / sad / grieved / sorry 衋 xì sad (old) 离情别绪 離情別緒 lí qíng bié xù sad feeling at separation (idiom) 怲 bǐng sad / mournful 懆 cǎo anxious / sad 悁 juān angry / sad 慬 jǐn brave / cautious / sad 让伤心 讓傷心 ràng shāng xīn to make grieve, to make sad 慱 tuán sad 伤别 傷別 shāng bié sorrowful farewell / sad goodbye 爱莫大于心死 愛莫大於心死 ài mò dà yú xīn sǐ nothing more sad than a withered heart / no greater sorrow than a heart that never rejoices / (popular culture misquotation of 哀莫大於心死|哀莫大于心死, saying attributed to Confuciu 面带愁容 面帶愁容 miàn dài chóu róng with a sad air / looking melancholy / with a worried look 怊 chāo (literary) sad / sorrowful / disappointed / frustrated 悕 xī (literary) to wish / to hope / sad / sorrowful 悢 liàng (literary) sad / melancholy 悲报 悲報 bēi bào sad news / bad news 遭遇 zāo yù to meet with / to encounter / (bitter) experience syn 教训 教訓 jiào xun to provide guidance / to lecture sb / to upbraid / a talking-to / a bitter lesson / CL:番[fan1],頓|顿[dun4] syn 苦笑 kǔ xiào to force a smile / a bitter laugh syn 冷笑 lěng xiào to sneer / to laugh grimly / grin of dissatisfaction (bitterness, helplessness, indignation etc) / bitter, grim, sarcastic or angry smile 惨烈 慘烈 cǎn liè bitter / desperate syn 严寒 嚴寒 yán hán bitter cold / severe winter syn 惨痛 慘痛 cǎn tòng bitter / painful / deeply distressed syn 沉痛 chén tòng grief / remorse / deep in sorrow / bitter (anguish) / profound (condolences) syn 苦战 苦戰 kǔ zhàn bitter struggle / hard battle / arduous effort syn 叫苦 jiào kǔ to whine about hardships / to complain of one's bitter lot / to complain / to grumble 严酷 嚴酷 yán kù bitter / harsh / grim / ruthless / severe / cut-throat (competition) syn 苦力 kǔ lì bitter work / hard toil / (loanword) coolie, unskilled Chinese laborer in colonial times syn 苦命 kǔ mìng hard lot / bitter fate / unfortunate syn 五味 wǔ wèi the five flavors, namely: sweet 甜, sour 酸, bitter 苦, spicy hot 辣, salty 鹹|咸 / all kinds of flavors 鏖战 鏖戰 áo zhàn bitter fighting / a violent battle syn 酸涩 酸澀 suān sè sour / acrid / (fig.) bitter / painful 苦果 kǔ guǒ lit. bitter fruit / fig. painful consequence syn 苦思 kǔ sī to think hard / bitter thoughts / to pour out one's sufferings syn 苦味 kǔ wèi bitter taste / bitterness syn 怨毒 yuàn dú bitter resentment / rancor 五香 wǔ xiāng five spice seasoned / incorporating the five basic flavors of Chinese cooking (sweet, sour, bitter, savory, salty) 含辛茹苦 hán xīn rú kǔ to suffer every possible torment (idiom) / bitter hardship / to bear one's cross syn 苦寒 kǔ hán bitter cold syn 切肤之痛 切膚之痛 qiè fū zhī tòng keenly felt pain / bitter anguish syn 惨笑 慘笑 cǎn xiào bitter smile 枳壳 枳殼 zhǐ qiào bitter orange (Fructus aurantii) (used in TCM) 苦菜花 kǔ cài huā Bitter Herbs, 1958 novel by Feng Deying 馮德英|冯德英[Feng2 De2ying1], made into a film in 1965 苦 kǔ bitter / hardship / pain / to suffer / to bring suffering to / painstakingly syn 吃哑巴亏 吃啞巴虧 chī yǎ ba kuī to be forced to suffer in silence / unable to speak of one's bitter suffering syn 苦活 kǔ huó bitter work / sweated labor syn 甘 gān (bound form) sweet / pleasant (contrasted with 苦[ku3]: bitter, unpleasant) / to be willing (to do sth) syn 荼 tú thistle / common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus) / bitter (taste) / cruel / flowering grass in profusion 醰 tán bitter taste in wine / rich / full flavored 切骨之仇 qiè gǔ zhī chóu bitter hatred / hatred that cuts to the bone syn 嘴甜心苦 zuǐ tián xīn kǔ sweet mouth, bitter heart (idiom) / insincere flattery 痛哭流涕 tòng kū liú tì weeping bitter tears syn 良药苦口 良藥苦口 liáng yào kǔ kǒu good medicine tastes bitter (idiom) / fig. frank criticism is hard to swallow 茹苦含辛 rú kǔ hán xīn bitter hardship / to bear one's cross syn 逆耳之言 nì ěr zhī yán speech that grates on the ear (idiom) / bitter truths / home truths (that one does not want to hear) 仇隙 chóu xì feud / bitter quarrel 冷话 冷話 lěng huà harsh words / sarcasm / bitter remarks 吐苦水 tǔ kǔ shuǐ to have bitter digestive fluids rising to the mouth / fig. to complain bitterly / to pour out one's sufferings 哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出 啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出 yǎ ba chī huáng lián , yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom) / unable to speak of one's bitter suffering / sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，有苦說不出|哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出 拼到底 pīn dào dǐ to brave it out / to the bitter end 有苦说不出 有苦說不出 yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū having unspeakable bitter suffering / (often used after 啞巴吃黃連|哑巴吃黄连[ya3 ba5 chi1 huang2 lian2]) 气不过 氣不過 qì bu guò so angry it's unbearable / bitter about unbearable grievances 活罪 huó zuì bitter sufferings / great hardships 