Bitter Tasting
Bitter
い adjective
The kanji for 苦 means suffering. This word, however, is a bit different, but you'll see how it's related. It means bitter tasting. Think of putting the most bitter thing in the world in your mouth. You feel sick, your mouth gets all weird, and you try to spit it out but the bitterness remains. Obviously eating bitter tasting things will cause you to suffer.
This reading of the kanji is unique to this meaning of the word, so here's a mnemonic to help you out!
The taste is so bitter tasting that you fall to your knees really, really hard. Luckily, you were wearing your knee guards (にが). Feel the relief that you were wearing them. Ack, no relief now. It's still bitter in your mouth.
苦い思い
bitter experience
苦い思い出
bitter memory
苦いコーヒー
bitter coffee
父は苦いコーヒーを気に入ってます。
My father likes bitter coffee.
苦いフルーツなんて、この世の中に有るんですか？
Is there a bitter fruit in this world?
カラメルは、こがさないように気を付けてください。でないと、苦い味になってしまいます。
Be careful not to let the caramel burn or it will taste bitter.