hard labor; laborer
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
hard labor; forced, exhausting physical work
Emphasizes work that is arduous, involuntary, and often dehumanizing.
Zài在
jiù旧
shè社
huì会
，
hěn很
duō多
qióng穷
rén人
bèi被
pò迫
zuò做
kǔ苦
gōng工
。
In the old society, many poor people were forced to do hard labor.
Zhè这
zhǒng种
kǔ苦
gōng工
bú不
shì是
yī一
bān般
rén人
néng能
chéng承
shòu受
de的
。
This kind of hard labor is not something an average person can endure.
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Tā他
měi每
tiān天
zài在
gōng工
chǎng厂
lǐ里
zuò做
kǔ苦
gōng工
，
shōu收
rù入
què却
hěn很
dī低
。
He does hard labor at the factory every day, but his income is very low.
noun
laborer; a person forced to do hard labor
Refers to the person who performs the labor, often in historical or oppressive contexts.
Jiě解
fàng放
qián前
tā他
zài在
méi煤
kuàng矿
dāng当
guo过
kǔ苦
gōng工
。
Before liberation, he was a laborer in a coal mine.
Nà那
xiē些
kǔ苦
gōng工
de的
shēng生
huó活
tiáo条
jiàn件
jí极
wéi为
è恶
liè劣
。
The living conditions for those laborers were extremely harsh.
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Tā他
shì是
yī一
gè个
cóng从
kǔ苦
gōng工
fèn奋
dòu斗
qǐ起
lái来
de的
qǐ企
yè业
jiā家
。
He is an entrepreneur who rose up from being a laborer.