苦労
くろう · kurou · JLPT N3 · noun
adversity
⛏️ 苦労 = bitter (苦) + labour (労): hard, bitter work
苦 means bitter or painful, as in 苦い (nigai, bitter). 労 means labour or toil, as in 労働 (roudou, work). Bitter toil gives you hardship. A common phrase is ご苦労様, which thanks someone for their hard work.
苦 — grass radical 艹 + 古 (old)
Originally referred to a bitter-tasting plant, with the grass radical 艹 indicating its botanical nature and 古 providing the phonetic element. The meaning extended from the literal bitter taste to figurative senses of hardship, suffering, and painful effort.