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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "bitter" in Chinese?
苦涩
kǔ sè
In Chinese, "bitter" is 苦涩 (kǔ sè).
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Pronunciation
kǔ sè comes out with "kǔ" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "sè" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Writing and usage
苦涩 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
深色咖啡相当苦。
shēn sè kā fēi xiāng dāng kǔ 。
The dark coffee is quite bitter.
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How to remember 苦涩
Turn "kǔ sè" into a tiny story about bitter — the sillier the mental image, the faster it sticks.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 苦涩
How do you pronounce 苦涩?
kǔ sè comes out with "kǔ" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "sè" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Is 苦涩 formal or casual?
苦涩 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 苦涩 used in Chinese?
苦涩 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 深色咖啡相当苦。 (The dark coffee is quite bitter.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Bitter" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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