shòuzuì: 受罪 - To Suffer, Endure Hardship, Be Punished

shòuzuì: 受罪 - To Suffer, Endure Hardship, Be Punished

Quick Summary

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Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 受罪 (shòuzuì), which means to suffer, endure hardship, or feel punished by a situation. It's a powerful and common term used to complain about everything from bad weather and difficult jobs to physical pain and emotional distress. This page breaks down its cultural nuances, practical usage, and provides numerous examples to help you master this expressive term for describing life's unpleasant experiences.

Core Meaning

Pinyin (with tone marks): shòu zuì
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 5
Concise Definition: To endure hardship, suffer, or be subjected to torment as if it were a punishment.
In a Nutshell: `受罪 (shòuzuì)` is more than just “to suffer.” It carries a strong emotional weight of enduring a miserable, often pointless, experience. It's the feeling of “going through the wringer” or “being put through hell.” Think of the suffering you endure when you're stuck in a sweltering, crowded subway car, or when you have a terrible toothache. It implies the hardship is undeserved and something you just have to bear.

Character Breakdown

受 (shòu): To receive; to accept; to be subjected to. This character implies a passive experience—something is happening to you, and you are on the receiving end.
罪 (zuì): Crime; sin; guilt; hardship. Originally, this character was strongly associated with crime and punishment.
When combined, 受罪 (shòuzuì) literally means “to receive punishment.” This paints a vivid picture of someone passively enduring a difficult ordeal as if they are serving a sentence. Even when no actual crime was committed, the situation feels like an unfair punishment.

Cultural Context and Significance

In Chinese culture, there's a well-known concept of 吃苦 (chīkǔ), which means “to eat bitterness.” `吃苦` is often seen as a virtue—enduring hardship to build character, achieve a future goal, or fulfill one's duty. A student `吃苦` while studying for a major exam is admirable.
`受罪`, however, is the flip side of that coin. It's the type of suffering that has no redeeming value. It's pointless, unnecessary, and purely negative. You `吃苦` to get a promotion; you `受罪` when your new office has a horribly uncomfortable chair and a flickering light.
Comparison to Western Culture: Think of the English phrase “to pay your dues.” This often implies a necessary struggle that leads to future success. `受罪` is more like the phrase “what a nightmare” or “this is torture.” It's used to describe the suffering itself, with no expectation of a reward. It's a raw expression of misery, often used in complaints among friends and family, reflecting a very relatable and human experience of life's daily frustrations.

Practical Usage in Modern China

`受罪` is an extremely common, informal word used in everyday conversation to complain and express frustration. Its tone can be slightly dramatic to emphasize how bad a situation is.
Complaining about Physical Discomfort: This is one of its most frequent uses.
- Hot or cold weather: “今天这么热，出门就是受罪。” (It's so hot today, going outside is just torture.)
- Illness or pain: “我牙疼了好几天了，真是受罪。” (My tooth has been hurting for days, it's real suffering.)
Describing Difficult Situations:
- Bad commutes: “每天坐地铁挤两个小时，简直是活受罪！” (Squeezing onto the subway for two hours every day is a living hell!)
- Annoying people or tasks: “跟他一起工作，我天天都在受罪。” (Working with him, I'm suffering every single day.)
Expressing Empathy: You can use it to show you understand someone else's hardship.
- “看你病得这么厉害，真是替你受罪。” (Seeing you so sick, I really feel for your suffering.)

Example Sentences

Example 1:
- 这么热的天不开空调，简直是在受罪。
- Pinyin: Zhème rè de tiān bù kāi kōngtiáo, jiǎnzhí shì zài shòuzuì.
- English: Not turning on the air conditioner in this hot weather is simply torture.
- Analysis: A classic example of using `受罪` to complain about physical discomfort from the environment.
Example 2:
- 以前没有麻药，生孩子对女人来说是受大罪。
- Pinyin: Yǐqián méiyǒu máyào, shēng háizi duì nǚrén lái shuō shì shòu dà zuì.
- English: Before there was anesthesia, childbirth was a great suffering for women.
- Analysis: Here, `受大罪` (suffer a great hardship) is used to describe a severe and unavoidable physical ordeal.
Example 3:
- 假日期间去旅游景点，就是花钱去受罪。
- Pinyin: Jiàrì qījiān qù lǚyóu jǐngdiǎn, jiùshì huā qián qù shòuzuì.
- English: Going to tourist spots during the holidays is just paying money to suffer.
- Analysis: This sentence has a cynical and relatable tone, complaining about overcrowding. It highlights the “pointless” nature of the suffering.
Example 4:
- 奶奶年纪大了，腿脚不方便，上下楼很受罪。
- Pinyin: Nǎinai niánjì dà le, tuǐjiǎo bù fāngbiàn, shàngxià lóu hěn shòuzuì.
- English: Grandma is old and has trouble with her legs, so going up and down the stairs is a great hardship for her.
- Analysis: This expresses empathy for the chronic, difficult situation of an elderly person.
Example 5:
- 我宁可自己多做一点，也不想让你跟着我受罪。
- Pinyin: Wǒ nìngkě zìjǐ duō zuò yīdiǎn, yě bùxiǎng ràng nǐ gēnzhe wǒ shòuzuì.
- English: I would rather do a bit more myself than let you suffer along with me.
- Analysis: This shows `受罪` being used in the context of a relationship, expressing a desire to protect someone from hardship.
Example 6:
- 这双鞋太小了，穿一天脚都受罪。
- Pinyin: Zhè shuāng xié tài xiǎo le, chuān yītiān jiǎo dōu shòuzuì.
- English: These shoes are too small; my feet are suffering after wearing them for a day.
- Analysis: A perfect, everyday complaint about a minor but irritating physical discomfort.
Example 7:
- 他的老板非常挑剔，在他手下工作真是受罪。
- Pinyin: Tā de lǎobǎn fēicháng tiāotì, zài tā shǒuxià gōngzuò zhēnshi shòuzuì.
- English: His boss is extremely picky; working under him is truly suffering.
- Analysis: `受罪` can also describe mental or emotional hardship caused by a difficult person or environment.
Example 8:
- 如果你不想做，就别勉强自己，何必受那份罪呢？
- Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bùxiǎng zuò, jiù bié miǎnqiáng zìjǐ, hébì shòu nà fèn zuì ne?
- English: If you don't want to do it, don't force yourself. Why put yourself through that suffering?
- Analysis: This is a rhetorical question (`何必…呢?`) used to advise someone against enduring unnecessary hardship.
Example 9:
- 看着小猫在雨里淋着，真觉得它受罪。
- Pinyin: Kànzhe xiǎo māo zài yǔ lǐ línzhe, zhēn juéde tā shòuzuì.
- English: Watching the little cat getting soaked in the rain, I really feel it's suffering.
- Analysis: Demonstrates that `受罪` can be used for animals as well as humans.
Example 10:
- 他得了重感冒，发烧咳嗽，受了好几天罪。
- Pinyin: Tā déle zhòng gǎnmào, fāshāo késou, shòule hǎo jǐ tiān zuì.
- English: He caught a bad cold, with a fever and cough, and suffered for several days.
- Analysis: Shows how `受罪` is often used with a duration of time to describe how long the suffering lasted.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

`受罪 (shòuzuì)` vs. `吃苦 (chīkǔ)`: This is the most important distinction.
- `吃苦 (chīkǔ)` (to eat bitterness): Often implies a purposeful hardship that builds character or leads to a goal. It can be a positive quality.
  - Correct: 他为了家人，愿意吃苦。(He is willing to endure hardship for his family.)
- `受罪 (shòuzuì)` (to receive punishment): Implies pointless, negative suffering. It's almost always a complaint.
  - Correct: 在这个又吵又脏的环境里生活，真是受罪。(Living in this noisy, dirty environment is pure suffering.)
  - Incorrect: 他为了家人，愿意受罪。 (This sounds odd, as if his family is a form of torture, unless that's the intended dark meaning.)
`受罪 (shòuzuì)` vs. `痛苦 (tòngkǔ)`:
- `痛苦 (tòngkǔ)` is an adjective or noun describing the internal state of pain, anguish, or agony (physical or emotional).
- `受罪 (shòuzuì)` is a verb describing the process of enduring an external situation that causes suffering.
- Example: 他的病让他很痛苦 (His illness makes him feel very pained/agonized). 每天去医院打针，他觉得很受罪 (Going to the hospital for injections every day, he feels like he is suffering/being tortured).

Related Terms and Concepts

吃苦 (chīkǔ) - To endure hardship, often with a purpose or positive outcome. The opposite of the pointless suffering of `受罪`.
受苦 (shòu kǔ) - A very close synonym for `受罪`, meaning “to suffer bitterness.” It's often interchangeable, though `受罪` can sometimes feel a bit stronger, with its implication of being punished.
折磨 (zhémó) - (v.) To torture, to torment. This is the action that causes someone to `受罪`. A difficult boss can `折磨` you, making you `受罪`.
痛苦 (tòngkǔ) - (adj./n.) Pained, agonized; agony, pain. This is the internal feeling that results from `受罪`.
活受罪 (huó shòuzuì) - A living hell, to suffer while alive. An intensified, more dramatic version of `受罪`.
遭罪 (zāozuì) - A colloquial and slightly more northern-regional synonym for `受罪`. Functionally the same in most contexts.
难受 (nánshòu) - To feel unwell or uncomfortable (physically or emotionally). `难受` is the feeling, while `受罪` is the experience of enduring the situation causing it.
可怜 (kělián) - Pitiful, poor. You would describe a person who is constantly in a state of `受罪` as `可怜`.

Table of Contents

shòuzuì: 受罪 - To Suffer, Endure Hardship, Be Punished

Quick Summary

Core Meaning

Character Breakdown

Cultural Context and Significance

Practical Usage in Modern China

Example Sentences

Nuances and Common Mistakes

Related Terms and Concepts