zat6 fu2疾苦
Jyutpingzat6 fu2
Yalejaht fú
Definition
Suffering and hardship in life.
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
This word carries a formal and slightly literary tone, often appearing in news reports, political discourse, or discussions about social welfare. It is rarely used in casual, everyday conversation to describe personal problems, where words like 辛苦 or 困難 are much more natural. Using it in a lighthearted context can sound overly dramatic or pretentious.
Examples
He cares a lot about the hardships of the grassroots.
Related words
Common phrases
the hardships of the common people
to empathize with the suffering of others
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe minor personal inconveniences or physical pain. It specifically refers to systemic or widespread hardship, such as poverty or social injustice, rather than individual struggles.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
