Chinese word

难

Pronunciation

Pinyinnán

Meaning

  • adjectivehard

Example

这个问题很难。zhè ge wèn tí hěn nán

This problem is hard.

Illustration for 难 (hard)

More examples

学中文有时候会觉得难。xué zhōng wén yǒu shí hòu huì jué de nán

Sometimes learning Chinese can feel hard.

Core concept

A path to a goal is blocked by enough obstacles that reaching it demands extra work.

Common phrases

  • 很难hěn nán

    very hard

  • 不难bù nán

    not hard

  • 有点难yóu diǎn nán

    a little hard

Similar words

不容易bù róng yì: Not easy to achieve or finish, with success requiring extra time or effort.
困难kùn nán: Made difficult by unfavorable conditions or many obstacles that slow progress.
艰难jiān nán: Extremely difficult and involving great hardship or struggle.

Definition in Chinese

表示做某事不容易，需要付出较多时间、力气或克服阻碍才能完成的形容词，常用于评价任务、问题或情况的难度。biǎo shì zuò mǒu shì bù róng yì xū yào fù chū jiào duō shí jiān lì qì huò kè fú zǔ ài cái néng wán chéng de xíng róng cí cháng yòng yú píng jià rèn wù wèn tí huò qíng kuàng de nán dù

Word origin

难 (nán, "hard") is the simplified form of 難 (nán, "hard"), a character whose older form is linked with something difficult to untangle, giving a useful image for difficulty.

Usage tips

  • English uses hard for both difficult tasks and solid surfaces, but 难 (nán, "hard") describes something that is not easy to do, solve, or deal with.

Other meanings

  • toughadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word