Chinese word

难得

Pronunciation

Pinyinnán dé

Meaning

  • adjectiverare

Example

这次的机会很难得。zhè cì de jī huì hěn nán dé

This opportunity is very rare.

Illustration for 难得 (rare)

More examples

这样的老建筑在城市中很难得，应该保护。zhè yàng de lǎo jiàn zhù zài chéng shì zhōng hěn nán dé yīng gāi bǎo hù

Such old buildings are rare in the city and should be protected.

Core concept

Scarcity makes something stand out and worth noticing, and can also mark an action that happens only occasionally.

Common phrases

  • 难得的机会nán dé de jī huì

    rare opportunity

  • 难得一见nán dé yí jiàn

    rarely seen

  • 难得可贵nán dé kě guì

    rare and precious

Similar words

罕见hǎn jiàn: So rare that it is hardly ever seen or found.
少见shǎo jiàn: Seen or encountered only occasionally.
稀有xī yǒu: Existing or appearing in very small numbers, and therefore scarce.

Definition in Chinese

不常发生或出现、值得重视或珍惜的状态或事物，也可用来表示频率低。bù cháng fā shēng huò chū xiàn zhí de zhòng shì huò zhēn xī de zhuàng tài huò shì wù yě kě yòng lái biǎo shì pín lǜ dī

Word origin

难得 (nándé, "rare") combines 难 (nán, "difficult") and 得 (dé, "obtain"), presenting its subject as difficult to obtain and therefore uncommon or valuable.

Usage tips

  • A neutral report of low frequency need not imply praise, but this word can add a positive tone when it describes a chance or object, making it common in appreciative remarks.

Other meanings

  • rarelyadverb
  • preciousadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word