苦水 kǔ shuǐ

fig. bitter complaint; suffering

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 32538th word

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. bitter complaint
  2. 2. suffering
  3. 3. digestive fluids rising from stomach to the mouth
  4. 4. bitter water (e.g. mineral water containing sulfates)

Characters

Character Meaning
苦 kǔ HSK 4
bitter; to suffer; hardship
水 shuǐ HSK 1
water; liquid; beverage