---
title: "Canku Meaning: 残酷 (cánkù) Means “cruel”"
description: "残酷 (traditional 殘酷, cánkù) means “cruel; brutal; ruthless”. Hear its tones, see what 残 and 酷 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/canku"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 残酷 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

残酷 cánkù

## cruel; brutal; ruthless

## Its characters

1. 残 cán cruel
2. 酷 kù cruel

## In a sentence

现实有时候很残酷。 Reality is sometimes very cruel.

[More about 残酷](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%AE%8B%E9%85%B7)

## More words with 残 or 酷

- [残疾 cánjí](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/canji)
- [残留 cánliú](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/canliu)
- [残忍 cánrěn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/canren)
- [泰酷辣 tàikùlà](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/taikula)

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