苦しむ To Suffer

Meaning

Primary

To Suffer

Alternative

To Struggle

Word Type

intransitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

You've already been introduced to the word 苦しい. That word means painful, or agonizing. So, if you turn that into a verb, you have to suffer or to struggle.

Reading

くるしむ

Explanation

The reading comes from 苦しい, so as long as you're on top of that word, this word should be readable for you as well.

Context

Common Word Combinations

• 〜に苦しむ

  生活に苦しむ

  to struggle to make a living, to be badly off

  赤字に苦しむ

  to suffer from a financial deficit

  ギャップに苦しむ

  to suffer from a gap (between ideals and reality)

• 〜で苦しむ

  一人で苦しむ

  to suffer alone

  病気で苦しむ

  to suffer from illness

  うつ病で苦しむ

  to suffer from depression

Context Sentences

日本には長時間労働に苦しむ人が多くいます。

There are many people who suffer from long hours at work in Japan.

いじめに苦しみながら学校に行きたくないよ。

I don't want to go to school while suffering from bullying.

なぜ罪のない人が苦しんでいるのか。

Why do innocent people suffer?

Kanji Composition

1. 苦

   く Suffering