辛い

Etymology 1
From. First attested in the  of 720. From.

Adjective

 * 1) spicy hot
 * 2) salty
 * 3)  bitter, not sweet
 * 4) harsh
 * 1)  bitter, not sweet
 * 2) harsh

Etymology 2
From. First attested in the  of 720.

Adjective

 * 1) painful

Suffix

 * 1) difficult to, hard to

Usage notes
Attaches to the continuative form of a verb. Inflects like an -i adjective. Usually spelled in hiragana, with the kanji spelling usually reserved for formal contexts.