Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

苦難 (くなん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

苦く難なん

く

な

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

hardship; suffering; trial

Refers to severe difficulties, adversity, or painful trials, often in a serious or formal context.

彼かれは多おおくの苦く難なんを乗のり越こえて成せい功こうした。
He overcame many hardships and succeeded.
苦く難なんの時じ代だいを生いき抜ぬく知ち恵えが

Kanji

苦suffering, trial, worry
難difficult, impossible, trouble

Similar words

困こん難なん
困難 is a more general word for difficulty or trouble, while 苦難 emphasizes painful suffering and severe trials.
苦く労ろう
苦労 refers to the effort and toil involved in dealing with hardships, often with a nuance of personal struggle, whereas 苦難 focuses on the hardships themselves.

Etymology

Compound of 苦 (ku, 'pain, suffering') and 難 (nan, 'difficulty, calamity'). The combination straightforwardly yields 'hardship, suffering'.

必ひつ

要よう

だ

。

We need the wisdom to survive times of adversity.