辛 (xīn) - Pungent, spicy & laborious, toilsome

辛Tone 1

xīn ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 辛

想信

辛 · xīn

Pungent, spicy;

laborious, toilsome;

suffering, hardship;

bitter;

one of the eight heavenly stems;

a surname.

Pungent, spicylaborious, toilsomesuffering, hardship

Usage highlights

Spicy and pungentHard work, toilDiligent, industriousHardship, sufferingBitter experiencePungent flavor

Synonyms

  • 辣— spicy, pungent
  • 苦— bitter, hardship

Antonyms

  • 甘— sweet, pleasant
  • 甜— sweet

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This dish is very spicy (辛辣).
  • Immigrants often lead a hard life (辛苦的生活).
  • She works diligently (辛勤工作).
  • The medicine tastes bitter (辛味).

Collocations

  • Spicy and pungent(辛辣)
  • Hard work, toil(辛苦)
  • Diligent, industrious(辛勤)
  • Hardship, suffering(辛酸)
  • Bitter experience(辛劳)
  • Pungent flavor(辛味)

Idioms

  • Through thick and thin(含辛茹苦)
  • Bitter experiences and hardships(千辛万苦)
  • The hard work of one's predecessors(披星戴月，含辛茹苦)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, 辛 is the eighth of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干), used in calendrical systems and divination.
  • In Chinese medicine, 辛 denotes 'acrid' or 'pungent' flavor, one of the five flavors, associated with dispersing and moving energy.
  • The character often conveys a sense of hardship and perseverance, reflecting the Chinese cultural value of enduring difficulty to achieve success.

FAQ