含辛茹苦

Pronunciation: hán xīn rú kǔ Literal meaning: Hold the acrid, swallow the bitter

Origin & Usage

茹 is to swallow, and 辛 is pungent rather than bitter — the sharpness of ginger and pepper. So the phrase is about holding (含) something acrid in the mouth and swallowing (茹) something bitter (苦), which is a more physical image than English 'endure hardship'. Its usage is strongly gendered by custom: it attaches above all to mothers, and specifically to years of unremarked domestic effort on someone else's behalf. It is a phrase of gratitude, most often said too late.

Examples

English: "She worked tirelessly through difficult times to achieve her dreams."

Chinese: 她在艰难的时刻努力工作，实现了自己的梦想。