painful; bitter; tough; difficult; cruel; harsh
spicy; hot; salty; harsh (criticism); severe (punishment); painful
patience; endurance; perseverance
barely; narrowly; only just; with difficulty
bitter (e.g. criticism); sharp; biting; severe; scathing; harsh
difficult to ... (physically or emotionally); hard to ...
capsicum (Capsicum annuum, esp. the cultivated chili peppers); chili pepper (chile, chilli); cayenne; shichimi pepper
dry taste (e.g. sake, wine); a liking for sake; one who likes sake; salty (taste); harsh; scathing
tough (world); hard (times); cold; stingy; miserly; mercenary
extremely spicy; fiery hot; extremely harsh (criticism, review, etc.); scathing
depressing; dark (e.g. story); grim (e.g. expression); irritating; annoying; tedious (work, person, etc.)
8th in rank; eighth sign of the Chinese calendar
depressing; dark (e.g. story); grim (e.g. expression); irritating; annoying; tedious (work, person, etc.)
hot taste; sharp taste; pungent taste; salty taste
hot taste; sharp taste; pungent taste; salty taste
trial and tribulation; hardships; privations; difficulties
to have a hard time of it
mentality; mood; sentiment; fretfulness; tedium; irritation
pent-up resentment; grudges and hard feelings
to undergo many hardships; to taste the bitters of life
shiokara; paste made from salted fermented seafood (squid, fish entrails, etc.)
to have a hard time of it
bitter (e.g. criticism); sharp; biting; severe; scathing; harsh
difficult to be (in a place); not feeling like staying
difficult to understand; difficult to grasp; confusing; puzzling
hottish; salty; somewhat hot; strict; harsh
sweetness and saltiness; salted and sweetened taste
drinker; person fond of alcohol (as opposed to sweets); person fond of spicy food
to undergo many hardships; to taste the bitters of life
blend of seven spices (cayenne, sesame, Japanese pepper, citrus peel, etc.)
to undergo many hardships; to taste the bitters of life
counter for spiciness of food (e.g. curry)
patience; endurance; perseverance
hard to see; indistinct; obscure; illegible
hard to see; indistinct; obscure; painful to look at
to have a hard time of it
difficult to hear; hard to hear; unpleasant to hear; painful to hear; difficult to ask
Xinhai Revolution (of China; 1911)
salted cod roe flavored with red pepper
green chili pepper; unripe chili pepper
for dear life; barely escaping alive
toil and moil; working assiduously for; tireless hard work; painstaking labor (labour)
tough (world); hard (times); cold; stingy; miserly; mercenary
tough (world); hard (times); cold; stingy; miserly; mercenary
kobus magnolia (Magnolia kobus)
Metal Sheep (8th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1931, 1991, 2051)
pent-up resentment; grudges and hard feelings
pent-up resentment; grudges and hard feelings
barely; narrowly; with difficulty
Metal Boar (48th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1911, 1971, 2031)
Metal Snake (18th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1941, 2001, 2061)
trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles
high-salt miso; salty miso; spicy miso
severe in marking; strict in grading
to have a hard time of it
high-salt miso; salty miso; spicy miso
toil and moil; working assiduously for; tireless hard work; painstaking labor (labour)
Manganji pepper (sweet variety originally from Maizuru, Kyoto)
mustard paste; English mustard
blend of seven spices (cayenne, sesame, Japanese pepper, citrus peel, etc.)
hottish; salty; somewhat hot; strict; harsh
Metal Rabbit (28th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1951, 2011, 2071)
Metal Rooster (58th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1921, 1981, 2041)
five pungent roots (in Buddhism or Taoism)
acrid; pungent; irritating
vinegared miso mixed with mustard
size isn't everything; something might be small but still pack a punch; (lit.) Japanese pepper is small-grained but has a tongue-numbing tingle
Metal Ox (38th term of the sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1961, 2021, 2081)
salted cod roe flavored with red pepper
acrid; pungent; irritating
spicy food; (arch.) daikon
difficult to hear; hard to hear; unpleasant to hear; painful to hear
star magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
semi-dry; semi-secco (e.g. wine)
Orthetrum albistylum speciosum (subspecies of white-tailed skimmer)
sweet pepper (any non-spicy variety of Capsicum annuum)
shishito; small sweet green pepper
for dear life; barely escaping alive
small spiral-shelled snail; spiral shellfish
feeling rough (of the throat); irritated; acrid; pungent
feeling rough (of the throat); irritated; acrid; pungent
mustard paste; English mustard
mustard paste; English mustard
mustard paste; English mustard
acrid; pungent; irritating
star magnolia (Magnolia stellata)
vinegared miso mixed with mustard
watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
Thais clavigera (species of rock shell)
karamimochi; mochi topped with grated daikon, soy sauce, etc.
karamimochi; mochi topped with grated daikon, soy sauce, etc.
karamimochi; mochi topped with grated daikon, soy sauce, etc.
karamimochi; mochi topped with grated daikon, soy sauce, etc.
salt; (strong) saltiness; (arch.) salt water; (arch.) seawater
shishito; small sweet green pepper
shishito; small sweet green pepper
harshly; bitterly; cruelly; badly
vegetables pickled in mustard
taste for both wines and sweets; having a liking for both alcoholic beverages and sweet things
taste for both wines and sweets; having a liking for both alcoholic beverages and sweet things
hardships and joys; tasting the sweets and bitters of life; being well-versed in the ways of the world (having seen much of life)
Siebold's wild ginger (esp. its dried root or rhizome, used as an antitussive and analgesic in traditional Chinese medicine)
be mean to me and I'll be mean in return; I'll treat them as badly as they treat me
salted fermented bonito guts
salted fermented bonito guts
salted fermented bonito guts
pungent vegetable (e.g. garlic, onion)
pungent vegetable (e.g. garlic, onion)
willow-leafed magnolia (Magnolia salicifolia); anise magnolia
perplexed spindle (species of sea snail, Fusinus perplexus)
warty frog shell (Bursa bufonia dunkeri)
Siebold's wild ginger (Asarum sieboldii)
variableleaf yellowcress (Rorippa indica)
hard-to-do; difficult; tough; awkward; tricky
hard-to-do; difficult; tough; awkward; tricky
Viola vaginata (violet species)