苦尽甘来 kǔjìn-gānlái bitterness finishes, sweetness begins
bitterness finishes, sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over, the good times just beginning
How to remember 苦尽甘来: 苦 bitter + 尽 exhaust + 甘 sweet + 来 come = bitterness finishes, sweetness begins.
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How it is used
- Idiom: after bitterness comes sweetness - hard times give way to good - 熬了这么多年，终于苦尽甘来 (áo le zhème duō nián, zhōngyú kǔjìn gānlái) after all these years of struggle, the good times have finally come.
- An optimistic, comforting phrase for the payoff after long suffering.
- Spoken and written; the 甘 (sweet) here is the reward that follows the 苦 (bitter).