Chinese word

难看

Pronunciation

Pinyinnán kàn

Meaning

  • adjectiveugly

Example

这件衣服很难看。zhè jiàn yī fú hěn nán kàn

This outfit is very ugly.

Illustration for 难看 (ugly)

More examples

这件衣服穿起来很难看。zhè jiàn yī fú chuān qǐ lái hěn nán kàn

This outfit looks very ugly when worn.

Core concept

A look that seems unpleasant or out of style, so it is not nice to look at.

Common phrases

  • 很难看hěn nán kàn

    very ugly

  • 有点难看yóu diǎn nán kàn

    a little ugly

  • 看起来难看kàn qǐ lái nán kàn

    look ugly

Similar words

不好看bù hǎo kàn: Having an appearance that is simply not good-looking.
不漂亮bú piào liàng: Lacking a pretty or beautiful appearance.
丑chǒu: Having an unattractive shape or appearance that can feel unpleasant to see.

Definition in Chinese

形容外表或样子让人觉得不好看、不愿多看的状态。xíng róng wài biǎo huò yàng zi ràng rén jué de bù hǎo kàn bú yuàn duō kàn de zhuàng tài

Word origin

难 (nán, "difficult") + 看 (kàn, "look") gives the basic idea of something being difficult to look at, which grew into a word for an unpleasant appearance.

Usage tips

  • When talking about a person's looks, this word can sound hurtful, while clothes and objects are safer topics.

Other meanings

  • unattractiveadjective
  • uncooladjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word