黄连树下弹琴,苦中作乐黃連樹下彈琴,苦中作樂黃連樹下彈琴,苦中作樂

playing the zither under a goldthread tree: making merriment in bitterness

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Widely known

Meaning: Forcing oneself to be cheerful in the midst of hardship. Wry, sympathetic.
Wordplay: 苦 (kǔ) means both bitter in taste and hardship or distress.

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Simplified: 黄连树下弹琴,苦中作乐
Traditional (Taiwan): 黃連樹下彈琴,苦中作樂
Pinyin: huángliánshù xià tánqín,kǔzhōngzuòlè
Bopomofo: ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄊㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ,ㄎㄨˇ ㄓㄨㄥㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄜˋ

Written with HSK 1 vocabulary, at CEFR level A1.

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