How to say 'Bitter' in Japanese | 苦い

Wondering how to say 'Bitter' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Bitter is 'Nigai', written as 苦い in Japanese.'Bitter' in hiragana is にがい.

word

苦い

Meaning

Bitter

Reading

にがい

nigai

Kanji

苦Suffer

Explanation

The Japanese adjective '苦い (にがい)' means 'bitter'. It is primarily used to describe a taste that is sharp, acrid, or unpleasant, often associated with certain foods, drinks, or medicines. For example: this medicine is bitter「この薬は苦い」(このくすりはにがい). The coffee tastes bitter「コーヒーが苦い」(コーヒーがにがい). Additionally, '苦い' can be used metaphorically to describe experiences or memories that are unpleasant or difficult, such as a bitter experience「苦い経験」(にがいけいけん). This adjective is commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts.

Part Of Speech

adjective

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

1780

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is an i-adjective. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 苦い

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

苦

Meaning

Suffer

Hiragana in the Word 苦い

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

い

Reading

Words Related to 苦い Through the Kanji 苦

These 12 Words contain the Kanji 苦 as well.

word

苦手

Meaning

Dislike, Weakness

word

苦しい

Meaning

Painful

word

苦しむ

Meaning

Suffer

word

苦情

Meaning

Complaint

word

苦心

Meaning

Struggle, Effort

word

苦しめる

Meaning

Torment

word

苦労

Meaning

Hardship

word

苦痛

Meaning

Pain

word

苦しみ

Meaning

Suffering

word

苦笑

Meaning

Wry smile

word

苦

Meaning

Suffering

word

目茶苦茶

Meaning

Chaotic, Absurd

Learn the Word 苦い

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What does 'Nigai' (苦い) mean?

'Nigai' means 'Bitter' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.