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)

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)
  2. 2. unable to speak of one's bitter suffering
  3. 3. sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū

Characters

Character Meaning
啞 yǎ
mute; dumb; hoarse
巴 ba HSK 5
noun suffix; to stick to; bus
吃 chī HSK 1
to eat; to consume; to eat at (a cafeteria etc)
黃 huáng
yellow; surname Huang or Hwang; pornographic
連 lián
(used with 也yě, 都dōu etc) even; continuously
有 yǒu HSK 1
to have; there is; there are
苦 kǔ HSK 4
bitter; to suffer; hardship
說 shuō
to say; to speak; to explain
不 bu HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
出 chū HSK 1
to go out; to come out