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 遭遇 zāo yù to meet with / to encounter / (bitter) experience syn 叶子 葉子 yè zi leaf (CL:片[pian4]) / (slang) marijuana syn 严酷 嚴酷 yán kù bitter / harsh / grim / ruthless / severe / cut-throat (competition) syn 脱胎换骨 脫胎換骨 tuō tāi huàn gǔ to shed one's mortal body and exchange one's bones (idiom) / born again Daoist / to turn over a new leaf / fig. to change wholly / to create from other material (story, artwork etc) syn 苦力 kǔ lì bitter work / hard toil / (loanword) coolie, unskilled Chinese laborer in colonial times syn 冷笑 lěng xiào to sneer / to laugh grimly / grin of dissatisfaction (bitterness, helplessness, indignation etc) / bitter, grim, sarcastic or angry smile 惨痛 慘痛 cǎn tòng bitter / painful / deeply distressed syn 改邪归正 改邪歸正 gǎi xié guī zhèng to mend one's ways (idiom) / to turn over a new leaf syn 苦涩 苦澀 kǔ sè bitter and astringent / pained / agonized syn 惨烈 慘烈 cǎn liè bitter / desperate syn 绿叶 綠葉 lǜ yè green leaf / (fig.) actor playing a supporting role 枫叶 楓葉 fēng yè maple leaf syn 苦果 kǔ guǒ lit. bitter fruit / fig. painful consequence syn 沉痛 chén tòng grief / remorse / deep in sorrow / bitter (anguish) / profound (condolences) syn 烟叶 煙葉 yān yè leaf tobacco 严寒 嚴寒 yán hán bitter cold / severe winter syn 秋叶 秋葉 qiū yè autumn leaf 苦瓜 kǔ guā bitter melon (bitter gourd, balsam pear, balsam apple, leprosy gourd, bitter cucumber) 苦战 苦戰 kǔ zhàn bitter struggle / hard battle / arduous effort syn 枝叶 枝葉 zhī yè branch and leaf 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 含辛茹苦 hán xīn rú kǔ to suffer every possible torment (idiom) / bitter hardship / to bear one's cross syn 金箔 jīn bó gold leaf 贴金 貼金 tiē jīn to cover (a statue) with gold leaf / to gild / (fig.) to prettify / to glorify 辛酸 xīn suān pungent (taste) / bitter / fig. sad / miserable syn 苦命 kǔ mìng hard lot / bitter fate / unfortunate syn 遮羞布 zhē xiū bù loincloth / (fig.) fig leaf / CL:塊|块[kuai4] syn 芥菜 jiè cài leaf mustard (Brassica juncea) / also pr. [gai4cai4] syn 酸甜苦辣 suān tián kǔ là sour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot / fig. the joys and sorrows of life syn 鏖战 鏖戰 áo zhàn bitter fighting / a violent battle syn 叶片 葉片 yè piàn blade (of propellor) / vane / leaf syn 痛改前非 tòng gǎi qián fēi completely correcting one's former misdeeds (idiom) / to repent past mistakes and turn over a new leaf / a reformed character syn 苦笑 kǔ xiào to force a smile / a bitter laugh syn 痛心疾首 tòng xīn jí shǒu bitter and hateful (idiom) / to grieve and lament (over sth) syn 枯叶 枯葉 kū yè dead leaf / withered leaf 五香 wǔ xiāng five spice seasoned / incorporating the five basic flavors of Chinese cooking (sweet, sour, bitter, savory, salty) 切肤之痛 切膚之痛 qiè fū zhī tòng keenly felt pain / bitter anguish syn 叫苦 jiào kǔ to whine about hardships / to complain of one's bitter lot / to complain / to grumble 苦思 kǔ sī to think hard / bitter thoughts / to pour out one's sufferings syn 苦味 kǔ wèi bitter taste / bitterness syn 板油 bǎn yóu leaf fat / leaf lard syn 苦寒 kǔ hán bitter cold syn 蒲扇 pú shàn palm-leaf fan / cattail-leaf fan 五味 wǔ wèi the five flavors, namely: sweet 甜, sour 酸, bitter 苦, spicy hot 辣, salty 鹹|咸 / all kinds of flavors 酸涩 酸澀 suān sè sour / acrid / (fig.) bitter / painful 四叶草 四葉草 sì yè cǎo four-leaf clover 怨毒 yuàn dú bitter resentment / rancor 月桂 yuè guì laurel (Laurus nobilis) / bay tree / bay leaf 互生 hù shēng alternate leaf arrangement (botany) 洗心革面 xǐ xīn gé miàn lit. to wash one's heart and renew one's face (idiom) / to repent sincerely and mend one's mistaken ways / to turn over a new leaf syn 叶脉 葉脈 yè mài venation (pattern of veins on a leaf) 惨笑 慘笑 cǎn xiào bitter smile 子叶 子葉 zǐ yè cotyledon (first embryonic leaf) 芭蕉扇 bā jiāo shàn palm-leaf fan 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 页 頁 yè page / leaf syn 苦 kǔ bitter / hardship / pain / to suffer / to bring suffering to / painstakingly syn 叶 葉 yè leaf / page / lobe / (historical) period / classifier for small boats syn 甘 gān (bound form) sweet / pleasant (contrasted with 苦[ku3]: bitter, unpleasant) / to be willing (to do sth) syn 柄 bǐng handle or shaft (of an axe etc) / (of a flower, leaf or fruit) stem / sth that affords an advantage to an opponent / classifier for knives or blades syn 改过自新 改過自新 gǎi guò zì xīn to reform and start afresh (idiom) / to turn over a new leaf syn 痛哭流涕 tòng kū liú tì weeping bitter tears syn 荼 tú thistle / common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus) / bitter (taste) / cruel / flowering grass in profusion 苦活 kǔ huó bitter work / sweated labor syn 扉 fēi door with only one leaf syn 叶落归根 葉落歸根 yè luò guī gēn a falling leaf returns to the roots (idiom) / everything has its ancestral home / In old age, an expatriate longs to return home. 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 复叶 複葉 fù yè compound leaf (botany) 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 龟背竹 龜背竹 guī bèi zhú split-leaf philodendron / Monstera deliciosa 番泻叶 番瀉葉 fān xiè yè senna leaf (Folium sennae) 缨 纓 yīng tassel / sth shaped like a tassel (e.g. a leaf etc) / ribbon syn 悔过自新 悔過自新 huǐ guò zì xīn to repent and start afresh (idiom) / to turn over a new leaf syn 一叶障目 一葉障目 yī yè zhàng mù lit. eyes obscured by a single leaf (idiom) / fig. not seeing the wider picture / can't see the wood for the trees syn 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 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) 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 落叶归根 落葉歸根 luò yè guī gēn lit. a falling leaf returns to the roots (idiom) / fig. all things go back to their source eventually / in old age, an expatriate returns home syn 革面洗心 gé miàn xǐ xīn lit. to renew one's face and wash one's heart (idiom) / to repent sincerely and mend one's mistaken ways / to turn over a new leaf 一叶知秋 一葉知秋 yī yè zhī qiū lit. the falling of one leaf heralds the coming of autumn (idiom) / fig. a small sign can indicate a great trend / a straw in the wind 对生 對生 duì shēng (botany) opposite leaf arrangement / paired leaf arrangement 月桂树叶 月桂樹葉 yuè guì shù yè laurel leaf / bay leaf 月桂叶 月桂葉 yuè guì yè bay leaf / laurel leaf 叶脉序 葉脈序 yè mài xù leaf venation (botany) / the pattern of veins on a leaf, characteristic of each species 香叶 香葉 xiāng yè bay leaf / laurel leaf 艾叶油 艾葉油 ài yè yóu mugwort leaf oil (TCM) / also called wormwood leaf oil / Oleum folii Artemisiae argyi 棕叶 棕葉 zòng yè leaf (usually bamboo or reed leaf) used to wrap 粽子[zong4 zi5] sticky rice dumplings 粽叶 粽葉 zòng yè leaf (usually bamboo or reed leaf) used to wrap sticky rice dumplings 粽子[zong4zi5] 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 