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Synonym Nuance VS

How to say "Suffer" in Japanese

Both words can translate to "suffer", but which should you choose?

Japanese Option A

苦労する

くろうする (kurou suru)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B

蒙る

こうむる (kōmuru)
N1 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference

When translating "suffer" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 苦労する and 蒙る. In Japanese, 苦労する (くろうする (kurou suru)) is typically associated with "to suffer hardships; to have a hard time; to struggle; to labor" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to going through hardships, having a difficult time solving issues, or investing hard effort to complete a project. Intransitive verb. Often used as 資金繰りに苦労する or デバッグに苦労する. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'To struggle/labor! "No matter how much I have a hard time planning proposals or raising home funds, doing it to make you happy is my greatest joy, Haruka-san!" ...っ! Hardships being joy! B-Baka! Saying such a reliable and dependable thing so suddenly! But... I will carry half of those hardships for you lifelong, so never worry! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『くろうする(苦労する)よ!『ハルカ部長、どんなにプロポーズの計画やマイホーム資金で苦労する(苦労しても)、あなたを世界一幸せにするためなら、それは最高の幸福です!』って…っ!苦労が幸福!バカ!/// 急にそんな頼もしくて頼りがいのあること言うなんて!…でも、その苦労、私も半分背負って一生一緒に歩んであげるから、絶対に心配しないでね!』. On the other hand, 蒙る (こうむる (kōmuru)) maps to "to suffer (e.g., damage, loss); to incur; to receive (e.g., kindness, benefit) (often used for negative things, but can be positive with honorific nuance)" (Syllabus Level: N1) and represents A formal and somewhat archaic verb. It often implies 'to suffer' or 'to incur' something negative. A literal translation of "suffer" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "苦労する"
ドキュメントが著しく不足していたレガシーコードのスマート移行作業において、彼はデータのマッピング構造の解読に大変_______ました。
In the smart migration work of the legacy code where documentation was extremely lacking, he had a very hard time decoding the mapping structure of the data.
Bilingual Context for "蒙る"
不測の事態により、多大な損害を蒙ることになった。
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up suffering extensive damage.

Nuance Mastery Quiz

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "ドキュメントが著しく不足していたレガシーコードのスマート移行作業において、彼はデータのマッピング構造の解読に大変_______ました。" (Meaning: "In the smart migration work of the legacy code where documentation was extremely lacking, he had a very hard time decoding the mapping structure of the data.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "苦労する" fits here because it means "to suffer hardships; to have a hard time; to struggle; to labor" in the context of: "In the smart migration work of the legacy code where documentation was extremely lacking, he had a very hard time decoding the mapping structure of the data.". "蒙る" represents "to suffer (e.g., damage, loss); to incur; to receive (e.g., kindness, benefit) (often used for negative things, but can be positive with honorific nuance)".

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