How to Write 苦 (suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter) — Stroke Order, Readings & Printable Worksheet
Master the 8-stroke writing sequence of the JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) character 苦 (“suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter”), indexed under the 艸 (くさかんむり (grass)) radical. Practice 苦 alongside high-frequency Japanese Jukugo compounds such as 苦しい (くるしい (kurushii) — suffering), 苦しい (ぐるしい (gurushii) — suffering).
🔍 Radical & Component Breakdown (苦)
Primary Radical (部首): 艸 — くさかんむり (grass)
Radical Position: Top (Kanmuri / 冠) (冠 (Kanmuri))
Semantic Theme: Herbs, grass, flowers, vegetation, and botanical life
Curriculum & Reading Usage: Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生) (JLPT N3). Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ク) when 苦 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (くる.しい, -ぐる.しい, くる.しむ, くる.しめる, にが.い, にが.る) when 苦 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings.
Genkō Yōshi Proportions (8画): Written with 8 strokes, 苦 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 艸 (くさかんむり (grass)) radical (Top (Kanmuri / 冠) position). Establish the 艸 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 6 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
📜 Etymology & Mnemonic Insight (六書 / Rikusho)
艸 (meaning) + 古 (sound コ)
Derived from the meaning radical 艸 (くさかんむり (grass)) and the phonetic component 古, giving the on-reading コ.
Common Japanese Words & Jukugo Using 苦
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanji 苦 (FAQ)
How many strokes are in 苦 and how is it structured?
The Japanese character 苦 ("suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter") is written with 8 strokes (8画) as a JLPT N3 (Kyōiku Kanji Grade 3 (小学3年生)) intermediate multi-component Kanji (6–11 strokes) indexed under the 艸 (くさかんむり (grass)) radical. Written with 8 strokes, 苦 is an intermediate multi-component character built around the 艸 (くさかんむり (grass)) radical (Top (Kanmuri / 冠) position). Establish the 艸 component first in its quadrant so the remaining 6 strokes maintain balanced left-right or top-bottom proportions.
What are the Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Jukugo words for 苦?
For 苦 (JLPT N3), the Onyomi is ク and the Kunyomi is くる.しい, -ぐる.しい, くる.しむ, くる.しめる, にが.い, にが.る. Use the Sino-Japanese Onyomi (ク) when 苦 combines with other Kanji in multi-character Jukugo compounds, and use the native Japanese Kunyomi (くる.しい, -ぐる.しい, くる.しむ, くる.しめる, にが.い, にが.る) when 苦 appears as a standalone noun or with Hiragana okurigana endings. High-frequency Japanese vocabulary using 苦 includes 苦しい (くるしい (kurushii) — suffering), 苦しい (ぐるしい (gurushii) — suffering).
What is the stroke order rule for writing 苦 on Genkō Yōshi paper?
When writing the 8 strokes of 苦 (suffering, trial, worry, hardship, feel bitter), start with the 艸 (くさかんむり (grass)) in the Top (Kanmuri / 冠) (冠 (Kanmuri)) position and follow standard Japanese Hitsujun (筆順) principles: top to bottom (上から下) and left to right (左から右). Practice 苦 interactively on the Kanji Scribe canvas or print a free A4 Genkō Yōshi PDF worksheet.
More JLPT N3 Characters to Practice Next
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