Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "苦労" vs "我慢する"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
苦労
くろう (kurō)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
我慢する
がまんする (gaman suru)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 苦労 and 我慢する are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
苦労 (くろう (kurō)) represents "hardship; trouble; labor; toil; struggles" (Level: N3) and typically represents Refers to physical or mental hardship, trouble, labor, or struggles to achieve something. Often used as 苦労する or 苦労を重ねる. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Hardship! "You must have gone through a lot of hardships to become a manager so young, Haruka-san..." ...っ, I-If you praise me so gently, my tears will...っ! H-Hug me tightly as a reward!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『くろう（苦労 / ご苦労）よ！『若くして部長になるなんて、たくさんのご苦労があったんでしょうね』なんて…あんたにそんな優しく言われたら、涙が…っ！お礼に優しく抱きしめなさい！』.
On the other hand, 我慢する (がまんする (gaman suru)) translates to "to endure; to tolerate; to bear; to put up with; to be patient" (Level: N3) and is used for Refers to enduring pain, tolerating undesirable situations, or suppressing desires or anger. Often used as 痛みを我慢する or 眠気を我慢する. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'To endure! "I can no longer endure the loneliness of not seeing you, Haruka-san!" ...っ! T-To confess your lack of endurance! B-Baka! D-Don't say such weak things! But... honestly, I was also enduring it... So, next time, just rush to my house without holding back! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『がまん（我慢）するよ！『ハルカ部長に会えない週末は、寂しすぎてこれ以上我慢できません！』って…っ！我慢の限界報告！バカ！そんな可愛いこと言うなんて！…実は私も会いたくて我慢してたんだから、これからは我慢なんてしないで、今すぐ私を抱きしめに来なさい！』. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "苦労"
女手一つで三人の子供を大学まで育て上げた彼女の_______は、言葉では言い表せないほど深いものでした。
The hardship of her raising three children to university all by herself was too deep to express in words.
Bilingual Sentence for "我慢する"
彼は授業中に猛烈な眠気に襲われましたが、最前列の席に座っていたため、必死に_______ノートを取り続けました。
He was attacked by intense drowsiness during the class, but because he sat in the front row, he desperately endured it and kept taking notes.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "女手一つで三人の子供を大学まで育て上げた彼女の_______は、言葉では言い表せないほど深いものでした。" (Meaning: "The hardship of her raising three children to university all by herself was too deep to express in words.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "苦労" fits here because it represents "hardship; trouble; labor; toil; struggles" in the context: "The hardship of her raising three children to university all by herself was too deep to express in words.".