How to say "pains" in Japanese

• 苦心くしんJLPT N2approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe closest match for 'pains' as careful, painstaking effort: taking trouble to work something out or get it right, as when refining a design or a difficult piece of writing.
  苦心くしんの甲斐かいがあった。↗

  That was well worth the trouble.
• 一苦労ひとくろうCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbTakes 'pains' as a single bout of trouble: a task that takes real doing, the kind you would call 'quite a job'. It points to one episode, not ongoing hardship.
• 苦労くろうJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers 'pains' as trouble and hardship endured — the hardships of a job or of raising a family. For 'take pains' in the sense of careful effort, 苦心 is the better word.
  せっかくの苦労くろうもあだになった。↗

  All my pains went for nothing.
• 労ろうCommon
  nounThis is seldom the word you want for 'pains': it is really the bare word for toil or labor, and for the 'trouble' side of 'pains' you would normally reach for 苦労.
  労ろうなくして益ますますなし。↗

  No pain, no gain.
• 丹精たんせいCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'pains' as earnest, devoted effort — the care poured into growing or making something over time — rather than trouble endured; wholehearted diligence more than suffering.
  丹精たんせいをこめてつくったこの美うつくしい織物おりものをごらんください。↗

  Take a look at this beautiful embroidery made with great effort.

For 'pains' as careful, painstaking effort choose 苦心; for a single bout of trouble, 一苦労; for hardship and troubles endured, 苦労; 労 is bare toil, and 丹精 is earnest, devoted care.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 苦心くしんpains
• 一苦労ひとくろうa hard time
• 苦労くろうtrouble
• 労ろうlabor
• 丹精たんせいworking earnestly
• 骨折りほねおりpains
• 責め苦せめくtorture
• 煩労はんろうtrouble