The Chinese word **刻苦** is a compound adjective formed by combining two characters: **刻**, which originally means "to carve" or "to engrave," metaphorically extending to "rigorous" or "precise," and **苦**, meaning "bitterness" or "hardship." Together, they create the meaning of "diligent and hardworking," specifically describing a person who endures hardship (**苦**) with a meticulous, persistent, and carving-like (**刻**) intensity in their studies, work, or training. The term thus encapsulates the idea of embracing difficulty with focused and sustained effort.