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cruel, cold

JLPT N1 14 strokes
Kun'yomi
ひど.い
On'yomi
コク

酷 means "cruel, cold". It is a JLPT N1 kanji written in 14 strokes. It is read ひど.い in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and コク in compounds (on'yomi). It is taught beyond elementary school (junior high and up).

酷 in example sentences

  • ずつうひどい。

    Zutsuu ga hidoi.

    I have a bad headache.

  • なんひどてんきだ。

    Nan to hidoi tenki da.

    What horrible weather!

  • かれひどかぜをひいた。

    Kare wa hidoi kaze o hiita.

    He caught a terrible cold.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

Words that use 酷

Common questions

What does the kanji 酷 mean?
酷 means "cruel, cold". It is a JLPT N1 kanji.
How many strokes does 酷 have?
酷 is written in 14 strokes.
How is 酷 read?
It is read ひど.い in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and コク in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 酷?
酷 is a JLPT N1 kanji.