苦心(くしん)

くしん
noun, suru verb
pains; effort; hard work
1. pains; effort; hard work; struggle
Effort made with difficulty or mental struggle. The process of working hard on something challenging.
苦心(くしん)の末(すえ)、ついに完成(かんせい)した。
After much effort, it was finally completed.
[Note: 苦心の末 = after great pains]
この作品(さくひん)には作者(さくしゃ)の苦心(くしん)が感(かん)じられる。
You can feel the author's painstaking effort in this work.
資金(しきん)調達(ちょうたつ)に苦心(くしん)している。
I'm struggling to raise funds.

PATTERNS:

  • 苦心(くしん)する (to take pains, to struggle)
  • 苦心(くしん)の末(すえ) (after great effort)
  • 苦心(くしん)の作(さく) (a work made with great effort)
  • 苦心(くしん)を重(かさ)ねる (to make repeated efforts)
  • 苦心(くしん)惨憺(さんたん) (working one's fingers to the bone)

COMPOUNDS:

  • 苦心談(くしんだん) (story of one's struggles/efforts)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 苦労(くろう) (hardship, trouble)
  • 努力(どりょく) (effort - more positive)
  • 工夫(くふう) (ingenuity, device)

NOTE: 苦心(くしん) emphasizes the mental struggle and painstaking nature of effort, while 努力(どりょく) is more neutral.

Related Words

Related: 苦労(くろう) (hardship)
Related: 努力(どりょく) (effort)
general
Added 2026.1.13 19:53 · Revised 2026.2.4 19:52
00000/00255_kushin