苦労・苦勞|くろうkurou[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Which spelling to use
苦労苦労 is the most common form and the usual choice for learners. Use it when writing the word meaning trouble, hardship, difficulty, or labour.
苦勞苦勞 is a less common variant written with outdated kanji. Learners should generally use 苦労 instead, but may encounter 苦勞 in written material.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbtrouble; hardship; difficulty; labour; labor; toil; painsせっかくの苦労もあだになった。↗All my pains went for nothing.
- noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbanxiety; worry; concern; cares
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 苦労する（くろうする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 苦労します（くろうします） |
| Negative (nai) | 苦労しない（くろうしない） |
| polite (masen) | 苦労しません（くろうしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 苦労せず・苦労せぬ（くろうせず・くろうせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 苦労した（くろうした） |
| polite (mashita) | 苦労しました（くろうしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 苦労しなかった（くろうしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 苦労しませんでした（くろうしませんでした） |
| Te form | 苦労して（くろうして） |
| Potential | 苦労できる（くろうできる） |
| Passive | 苦労される（くろうされる） |
| Causative | 苦労させる（くろうさせる） |
| Causative passive | 苦労させられる（くろうさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 苦労すれば（くろうすれば） |
| tara | 苦労したら（くろうしたら） |
| Volitional | 苦労しよう（くろうしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 苦労しましょう（くろうしましょう） |
| Imperative | 苦労しろ（くろうしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym労苦ろうくWrittenWritten word for toil and hardship, often when thanking or comforting someone for their labours, as in 「労苦をねぎらう」; 「苦労」 is the everyday choice.
- Synonym苦心くしんNeutralRacking your brains to work something out or perfect it, as in 「苦心の作」; 「苦労」 is broader, covering mental and physical strain alike.
- Related奮闘ふんとうNeutralStriving or battling on with all one's might; 「苦労」 centres on the hardship itself rather than the fighting spirit.
- Related努力どりょくNeutralActively putting in effort, with a positive ring; 「苦労」 stresses the hardship and strain you go through.
- Related労力ろうりょくNeutralThe labour or effort something costs, as in 「労力を惜しまない」; 「苦労」 stresses how the hardship feels.
- Related尽力じんりょくFormalFormal word for doing one's utmost, as in 「ご尽力」 or 「目標達成に尽力する」; 「苦労」 centres on the strain endured.
- Related四苦八苦しくはっくNeutralFour-character idiom for being hard pressed or at your wits' end; more exaggerated than 「苦労」.
- Related骨折りほねおりNeutralTaking pains and toiling away at something, as in 「骨折り損」; 「苦労」 covers a wider range of hardship.
- Related辛労しんろうWrittenWritten and rarely used word for toil; in everyday speech 「苦労」 is the natural choice.
- RelatedあがきNeutralDesperate struggling, often futile, as in 「最後の足掻き」; 「苦労」 need not end in wasted effort.
- Antonym安楽あんらくNeutralAntonym on the hardship–ease axis: comfort and ease, a life free of toil.
- Antonym楽らくNeutralThe everyday antonym: ease and comfort, when things take no effort or trouble.
Use 「苦労」 for the hardship, mental or physical, of doing something — it is the everyday word. Choose 「苦心」 for racking your brains over something, 「努力」 for positive effort, 「尽力」 for formal wholehearted work, 「奮闘」 for fighting all-out, and 「楽」 for the opposite, an easy time.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
