酸甜苦辣 meaning in English
(lit.) sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom); (fig.) all kinds of flavors; the joys and sorrows of life
Meaning of 酸甜苦辣
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (lit.) sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom)
- (fig.) all kinds of flavors; the joys and sorrows of life
How to use 酸甜苦辣
It can describe real flavors, but it is most often used figuratively for all the ups and downs of life. It often follows verbs like 尝尽 (chángjìn, to taste them all) or 经历 (jīnglì, to experience). Example: 他尝尽了人生的酸甜苦辣。(Tā chángjìn le rénshēng de suāntiánkǔlà.) He has tasted all the joys and sorrows of life.
Picture four dishes on a table: sour 酸 (suān), sweet 甜 (tián), bitter 苦 (kǔ), and spicy 辣 (là). Tasting all four is like living a full life, with its good and hard moments.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 辣 (là, spicy) with 辨 or 辩 because of the similar right side, or write it with the wrong tone as lā. Also keep the fixed order 酸甜苦辣. Do not rearrange it as 甜酸苦辣.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
酸 suān · sour · 14 strokes
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甜 tián · sweet · 11 strokes
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苦 kǔ · bitter · 8 strokes
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辣 là · hot · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 酸甜苦辣.
| 痛苦 | tòngkǔ | pain; suffering |
| 酸奶 | suānnǎi | yogurt |
| 辛苦 | xīnkǔ | exhausting; hard |
| 艰苦 | jiānkǔ | difficult; hard |
| 甜蜜 | tiánmì | sweet; happy |
| 受苦 | shòukǔ | to suffer hardship |
| 甜美 | tiánměi | sweet; pleasant |
| 苦难 | kǔnàn | suffering |
| 辣椒 | làjiāo | hot pepper; chili |
| 苦恼 | kǔnǎo | vexed; distressed |
| 挖苦 | wāku | to speak sarcastically; to make cutting remarks |
| 甜头 | tiántou | sweet taste (of power, success etc); benefit |
Questions about 酸甜苦辣
What does 酸甜苦辣 mean?
酸甜苦辣 (suān-tián-kǔ-là) means "(lit.) sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom); (fig.) all kinds of flavors; the joys and sorrows of life".
How do you write 酸甜苦辣?
酸甜苦辣 is made of 4 characters: 酸 (14 strokes), 甜 (11 strokes), 苦 (8 strokes), 辣 (14 strokes). That is 47 strokes in total.
Is 酸甜苦辣 an HSK word?
Yes. 酸甜苦辣 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 酸甜苦辣 positive or negative?
It is neutral. It covers both happy times (甜) and hard times (苦, 酸, 辣), so it suggests a rich, full experience rather than only suffering.
Can I use 酸甜苦辣 for things other than a whole life?
Yes. You can talk about the 酸甜苦辣 of a job, a marriage, or studying abroad, for example 留学的酸甜苦辣 (liúxué de suāntiánkǔlà), the ups and downs of studying abroad.