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JLPT N46画 · 6 strokesradical 辛freq #1200

spicy, painful, hardship

On'yomi (音読み)

  • シン
  • ケン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • から.い
  • つら.い

Mnemonic

As I bite into the spicy pepper, the intense heat strikes me like a painful hardship, leaving me gasping for air.

About this kanji

The kanji 辛 (しん, からい) primarily means "spicy" and can also imply "painful" or "hardship." It is often used as an adjective, as in 辛い (からい), which means "spicy," and 辛さ (からさ), meaning "spiciness." You will also find it in the compound 辛抱 (しんぼう), which means "patience" or "perseverance," suggesting enduring hardship. Additionally, you might hear 辛い生活 (つらいせいかく), which translates to "painful life," highlighting struggles. While 辛 can describe flavors, its emotional connotations are also significant in expressing difficult experiences. This versatility makes it essential for both food discussions and more profound conversations about life's challenges.

Example sentences

  • 辛い料理が好きです。

    I like spicy food.

Meanings across languages

English
spicy, painful, hardship
Tiếng Việt
cay, đau, khó khăn
日本語
辛い, つらい
한국어
매운, 아픈, 고난
中文
辛辣, 痛苦, 艰难
id
pedas, sakit, kesulitan
th
เผ็ด, เจ็บปวด, ความยากลำบาก
es
picante, doloroso, dificultad
fr
épicé, douloureux, difficulté
de
scharf, schmerzhaft, Entbehrung
pt
apimentado, doloroso, dificuldade

Common compounds

  • 辛いからいspicy, hot (taste)
  • 辛さからさspiciness
  • 辛抱しんぼうpatience, endurance
  • 辛い生活つらいせいかつpainful life, hard life

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