啞巴吃黃蓮 yǎ ba chī huáng lián

DEFINITIONS

  1. no choice but to suffer in silence (idiom)
  2. also written 啞巴吃黃連|哑巴吃黄连
  3. (often precedes 有苦說不出|有苦说不出[you3 ku3 shuo1 bu5 chu1])

CHARACTERS

啞 yǎ dumb, mute; become hoarse
巴 ba
HSK 5
greatly desire, anxiously hope
吃 chī
HSK 1
eat; drink; suffer, endure, bear
黃 huáng yellow; surname
蓮 lián lotus, water lily; paradise