苦しむ

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 苦しむ is read as くるしむ and is a verb meaning to suffer physical or emotional pain or to struggle with a difficult situation.
• Basic usage: Suffering from grief appears in 悲しみに苦しむ, while struggling with a water shortage appears in 水不足に苦しむ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Marking the cause with に
  • With 苦しむ, the cause can appear as in 悲しみに and 水不足に, using に after the emotion or problem.
• Difference from 困る
  • 困る focuses on being at a loss about what to do, while 苦しむ focuses on actually experiencing pain or hardship.