苦不堪言 unbearable
Explanation
形容痛苦或困苦到了极点，无法用言语表达。
Describes a state of extreme suffering or misery that cannot be expressed in words.
Origin Story
老张是一位勤劳的农民，他辛勤耕耘，却遭遇了连续几年的旱灾，庄稼颗粒无收，家里的粮食也吃光了，眼看着妻儿就要饿死，他心里焦急万分，寝食难安，每天都唉声叹气，愁眉苦脸。他尝试着向亲戚朋友借钱，但都无济于事。他只能眼睁睁地看着家人日渐消瘦，身体越来越差，那种无助和绝望让他苦不堪言。他常常独自一人坐在田埂上，望着干裂的土地，默默流泪，心里充满了痛苦和无奈。他不知道该如何解决眼前的困境，只能默默承受着这一切，希望上天能眷顾他，让他渡过难关。
Old Zhang was a hardworking farmer. He toiled diligently, but suffered several consecutive years of drought. His crops failed, and the food in his home ran out. Watching his wife and children starve, he was extremely anxious and sleepless, sighing and frowning every day. He tried borrowing money from relatives and friends, but to no avail. He could only watch helplessly as his family grew thinner and weaker. The helplessness and despair made his suffering unbearable. He often sat alone on the edge of the field, gazing at the cracked land, silently weeping, his heart filled with pain and helplessness. He didn't know how to solve the immediate predicament, and could only silently bear it all, hoping that heaven would favor him and help him overcome the difficulties.
Usage
作谓语、宾语；形容痛苦到了极点。
As predicate or object; describes extreme pain.
Examples
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这场战争打得苦不堪言。
zhè chǎng zhànzhēng dǎ de kǔ bù kān yán
This war was unbearable.
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他经历了丧亲之痛，苦不堪言。
tā jīng lì le sàng qīn zhī tòng, kǔ bù kān yán
He experienced the pain of losing a loved one and was extremely unhappy and desperate.