cán kù
cruel; brutal; impitoyable
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战争是残酷的。
Zhànzhēng shì cánkù de.
War is cruel.
现实是残酷的。
Xiànshí shì cánkù de.
Reality is cruel.
命运是残酷的。
Mìngyùn shì cánkù de.
Fate is cruel.
残忍 (cánrěn)
brutal
野蛮 (yěmán)
barbaric
仁慈 (rén cí)
benevolent
慈悲 (cí bēi)
compassionate
The Chinese word 残酷 (cánkù) for "cruel" is composed of two characters: 残 (cán) and 酷 (kù). The character 残 originally meant "to cut off" or "to injure", and was often used in the context of war or violence. The character 酷 originally meant "hot" or "burning", and was often used to describe the weather or a person's temper. When combined, the two characters 残酷 create a vivid image of something that is both physically and emotionally painful, hence its meaning of "cruel".
