哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出
yǎ​ba​chī​huáng​lián​yǒu​kǔ​shuō​bù​chū

to suffer in silence

Senses

哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出/ 啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出 yǎ​ba​chī​huáng​lián​yǒu​kǔ​shuō​bù​chū to suffer in silence

To be forced to suffer in silence or unable to voice one's grievances; literally, a mute person eating the bitter herb Coptis chinensis and being unable to speak about the bitterness.

References

variant 哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出/啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出 → 哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出/啞子吃黃連，有苦說不出
see 哑巴吃黄连/啞巴吃黃連 → 哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出/啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出