The Meaning of kurou [苦労] In Japanese

苦労
くろう
Romaji: kurou N4

What does 苦労 mean?

Translation and Meaning

hardship, trouble, toil

Definition

苦労 means the experience of hardship and the exertion needed to overcome obstacles. It describes sustained effort, struggle, and perseverance in pursuing a goal, often accompanied by patience and resilience in the face of difficulties.

Type

noun; suru-verb (動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Hardship endured in pursuing a goal (苦労を重ねる, kurou o kasaneru)
  • Significant effort or toil required by a task (苦労が多い, kurou ga ooi)
  • Emotional strain or frustration arising from challenging circumstances (苦労する場面, kurou suru bamen)

Etymology

苦 (suffering) + 労 (labor) combine to form 苦労, indicating hardship born of effort; the pronunciation kurou is the historical reading of the compound and has remained stable in modern Japanese.

Composition

  • 苦 = suffering, hardship
  • 労 = labor, effort
  • Together they express hardship resulting from exertion

Usage

苦労 is used to describe the personal experience of hardship or the effort involved in tasks. Common constructions include 苦労する, 苦労が多い, 苦労が絶えない. It is appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, and is often used to acknowledge someone’s effort or to discuss the toll of a challenge.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 苦 and 労 as two people sharing a heavy load; their collaboration literally adds up to 苦労—the kind of hardship that comes from hard work.

Variations

  • 苦難 (kunnan) — hardship
  • 困難 (konnan) — difficulty
  • 労苦 (rouku) — toil

Example Phrases

  • 彼女は家計の苦労を乗り越え、前へ進む。
    Kanojo wa kakei no kurou o norikoe, mae e susumu.
    She overcomes the financial hardships of the household and moves forward.
    Lista:
    • 彼女は (Kanojo wa) – she
    • 家計の苦労を (Kakei no kurou o) – the financial hardships of the household
    • 乗り越え (norikoe) – overcome
    • 前へ (mae e) – forward
    • 進む (susumu) – move forward
    In this sentence, 「苦労」 is a noun meaning ‘hardship’ and is the object of 乗り越える.
苦労