Definition
坚苦 is a formal/literary stative verb that describes a person's firm resolve in enduring hardship — 'persevering with grit.' It combines 坚 (firm, steadfast) with 苦 (bitter, hardship). Be careful not to confuse it with the similar-sounding 艰苦 (jiān kǔ, 'arduous, difficult'), which describes a situation or environment (艰苦的工作 'tough job'), not a person's character. As a non-separable stative verb, you use it attributively with 的 or as a predicate with 很: 他很坚苦.
s.v.
persevering through hardshipsteadfast and hardworking
Examples
- 坚苦。Tā jiān kǔ de fèndòu jīngshén zhídé jìngpèi.His spirit of persevering through hardship is worthy of admiration.
- 坚苦，。Tā hěn jiān kǔ, cóng bú pà chī kǔ.She is steadfast in hardship and never fears suffering.
- ，坚苦。Zài kùnnán miànqián, jiān kǔ de tàidu bǐ cōngming gèng zhòngyào.In the face of difficulty, a persevering attitude is more important than intelligence.
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