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苦い

にがい

bitter

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. この薬は苦いです。

    このくすりはにがいです。

    This medicine is bitter.

  2. 苦いコーヒーは飲めません。

    にがいコーヒーはのめません。

    I can't drink bitter coffee.

  3. 子どものころ、ピーマンが苦くて嫌いでした。

    こどものころ、ピーマンがにがくてきらいでした。

    As a child I hated green peppers because they were bitter.

Common patterns

苦い薬
bitter medicine
苦いコーヒー
bitter coffee
苦い経験
a bitter experience

Memory tip

Same kanji as 苦しい (painful, hard to bear) — both are about something you can barely take. But 苦い is only taste, or figuratively a painful memory; for physical suffering use 苦しい.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

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What does 苦い mean?