Chinese word

不易

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù yì

Meaning

  • adjectivenot easy

Example

习惯不易改变。xí guàn bú yì gǎi biàn

Habits are not easy to change.

Illustration for 不易 (not easy)

More examples

文化传统不易改变。wén huà chuán tǒng bú yì gǎi biàn

Cultural traditions are hard to change.

Core concept

A goal, state, or detail lies beyond quick reach, so effort or close attention is needed to obtain, alter, or detect it.

Common phrases

  • 不易改变bú yì gǎi biàn

    hard to change

Similar words

难nán: Not easy to do, understand, or handle.
困难kùn nán: Hard to deal with because a problem or barrier stands in the way.

Definition in Chinese

既可表示难以得到或做到，也常用于成语中强调来之不易的珍贵或不易察觉的情形。jì kě biǎo shì nán yǐ dé dào huò zuò dào yě cháng yòng yú chéng yǔ zhōng qiáng diào lái zhī bú yì de zhēn guì huò bú yì chá jué de qíng xíng

Word origin

The compound 不 (bù, "not") + 易 (yì, "easy") presents difficulty as the absence of an easy route, linking the word to both difficult changes and valuable results gained through effort.

Usage tips

  • When it comes before a verb, this adjective describes the action as difficult, as in a change that is not readily made, rather than describing a person's unwillingness to act.

Other meanings

  • hard to changeadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word