Meaning and Usage
The adjective 苦しい (くるしい) describes physical or emotional pain, difficulty, or distress. It can refer to both mental suffering, such as feeling troubled or anxious, and physical discomfort, like pain or tightness.
Common Contexts
- Emotional hardship: expressing feelings of sadness, worry, or stress.
- Physical pain: describing bodily discomfort such as chest tightness or breathing difficulty.
- Difficult situations: used to describe challenging or tough circumstances that require endurance.
Collocations and Patterns
- 苦しい状況 (くるしいじょうきょう): a tough or painful situation.
- 苦しい決断 (くるしいけつだん): a difficult decision.
- 胸が苦しい (むねがくるしい): chest feels tight or painful.
- 苦しい戦い (くるしいたたかい): a hard fight or struggle.
Register and Nuance
苦しい is a common adjective used in both spoken and written Japanese. It can be used in formal and informal contexts depending on the sentence. It often conveys a strong emotional or physical state.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 苦しい with 辛い (つらい), which also means painful or tough. 苦しい often emphasizes physical pain or tightness, while 辛い tends to focus more on emotional hardship or difficulty. However, they can overlap, so context is important.