Word difficult in chinese

The word 难 (nán) is truly versatile in Chinese. By itself, it conveys a simple concept: “difficult”, but when it’s used as a compound word, its meaning becomes much more diverse. In this article, we’ll explore the various ways of using 难 (nán) in Chinese to help you sound truly authentic when speaking the language.

Let’s get started!

Use 难 (nán) by Itself

Using 难 (nán) by itself is very simple as it directly translates to the English word “difficult” or “hard”. Here is a basic example:

• 日语很难。
  Rìyǔ hěn nán.
  Japanese is hard.

Use 难 (nán) in Combination with Verbs

In Chinese, you can just add a verb after 难 (nán) to express “something is hard to do or to be done”.

For example,

• 日语很难学。
  Rìyǔ hěn nán xué.
  Japanese is hard to learn.

Pattern

难 (nán) + verb

Let’s look at some more examples:

• 这很难说。
  Zhè hěn nán shuō.
  It’s hard to say.

• 这真的很难办。
  Zhè zhēnde hěn nán bàn.
  It’s really hard to be done.

• 这个字不难写。
  Zhège zì bù nán xiě.
  This character is not hard to write.

• 坏习惯非常难改。
  Huài xíguàn fēicháng nán gǎi.
  Bad habits are hard to change.

• 一等奖很难赢。
  Yī děng jiǎng hěn nán yíng.
  The first prize is hard to be won.

• 现在口罩很难买。
  Xiànzài kǒuzhào hěn nán mǎi.
  Face masks are hard to buy now.

• 最近工作不难找。
  Zuìjìn gōngzuò bù nán zhǎo.
  Jobs are not hard to find nowadays.

• 这辆车太难骑了！
  Zhè liàng chē tài nán qí le!
  The bike is so hard to ride!

难 (nán) in Compound Words

Some “难 (nán) + verb” combinations appear so often in Chinese that they sort of have become compound words themselves already, with a meaning on their own. (their Pinyin are often written without any space in between)

One of the most noticeable examples would be “难吃 (nánchī)”. Following the previous pattern, you would probably think that it means “something is difficult to eat”, but actually it means it doesn’t taste good (therefore “eating it” is difficult).

难 nán + 吃 chī = 难吃 nánchī
hard (to) + eat → unpleasant to eat, unsavory

And you use this type of word as an adjective in Chinese.

• 这个菜太难吃了!
  Zhège cài tài nánchī le!
  This dish is so unpleasant to eat!

• 难吃的菜
  nánchī de cài“unpleasant-to-eat” (unsavory) dish

Obviously, this is a literal translation, in English, you would say something like “this dish is disgusting/awful” or something more specific, but this is the most common way that Chinese speakers describe food that tastes bad.

When learning Chinese, it’s always important to remember that some expressions don’t have exact equivalence in other languages, translations of the same word, or the same structure will often be different.

难 (nán) can be used in the same way for many other words. Here are some most common examples:

• 难 nán + 喝 hē = 难喝 nánhē
  hard (to) + drink → unpleasant to drink, unsavory

  这咖啡超难喝！
  Zhè kāfēi chāo nánhē!
  This coffee is super disgusting! (hard to drink)

• 难 nán + 看 kàn = 难看 nánkàn
  hard (to) + look at → unpleasant to look at, ugly

  我觉得这双鞋不难看。
  Wǒ juéde zhè shuāng xié bù nánkàn.
  I don’t think this pair of shoes are ugly. (hard to look at)

• 难 nán + 听 tīng = 难听 nántīng
  hard (to) + listen to → unpleasant to listen to, sounds bad

  不要唱了！难听死了！
  Búyào chàng le! nántīng sǐ le!
  Stop singing! Sounds horrible! (hard to listen to)

• 难 nán + 闻 wén= 难闻 nánwén
  hard (to) + sniff → unpleasant to sniff, smells bad

  榴莲有种难闻的味道。
  Liúlián yǒu zhǒng nánwén de wèidào.
  Durian has a kind of awful smell. (“hard-to-sniff” smell)

• 难 nán + 忘 wàng = 难忘 nánwàng
  hard (to) forget → unforgettable, memorable

  这是一次难忘的旅行。
  Zhè shì yí cì nánwàng de lǚxíng!
  This is an unforgettable trip! (“hard-to-forget” trip)

• 难 nán + 过 guò = 难过 nánguò
  hard (to) + pass → sad

  她看上去很难过。
  Tā kànshàngqù hěn nánguò!
  She looks very sad. (hard to pass)

If you already know that the meaning of 过 (guò) is to “pass”, to “cross”, then this word should make a lot of sense. Here we are essentially saying that, to her, something is difficult to get over, or in other words, she is sad or miserable about something.

Wrap up

难 (nán) is a versatile word in Chinese. By itself, it means “difficult” or “hard”. You can use it in combination with verbs to express “something is hard to do or to be done”. When it’s used as a compound word, its meaning becomes more diverse. Some common examples include 难吃 (nánchī), 难喝 (nánhē), 难看 (nánkàn), 难听 (nántīng), 难闻 (nánwén), 难忘 (nánwàng), 难过 (nánguò), etc. Slip these into your conversation and you’ll sound very Chinese.

Don’t forget to check other grammar articles on ImproveMandarin.Com’s Grammar Channel. Remember, grammar is the glue that holds the pieces of language together!

These examples may contain rude words based on your search.

These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.

Suggestions

Reliably detect flying parts in difficult conditions

可在困难的条件下可靠地探测快速飞出的工件

Those ridiculously difficult spatial relationship questions?

那些荒谬而又困难的空间关系的问题？

Zezé is making something very difficult.

泽泽正在做一个很难的东西喔

that makes my job rather difficult.

这就让我的工作很难做了。

The Treaty endured especially difficult times politically.

该条约在政治上经历了极其艰难的时期。

This is a very difficult business.

这是一项非常艰难的事业。

Rich countries now face difficult trade-offs.

富裕的国家正在面对着困难的权衡取舍。

Color our life-a difficult situation easily and happily

颜色我们的生活-一个困难的情况下轻松和快乐

Nilfisk industrial cleaning machines are designed for particularly difficult conditions.

Nilfisk工业清洁设备专为极困难的工作条件设计。

Controlling them was getting increasingly difficult.

这使得保持足够的控制越来越困难。

This is the most difficult and challenging situation.

这也是最困难和最有争议的问题。

But replicating these successes is difficult.

但要复制这些成功是困难的。

complex menus or difficult key combinations.

复杂的菜单或困难的按键组合。

To understand this hormonal chaos is difficult.

要理解这种混乱荷尔蒙的是困难的。

That is a very difficult test.

这是一项非常艰难的考验。

But though difficult — is necessary.

但是，尽管困难的-是必要的。

My client entered the country in difficult circumstances.

我的客户进入该国 在困难的情况下。

This is an extraordinarily difficult task.

这是一项非常困难的任务。

We’ve all agonized over difficult decisions.

我们都曾为艰难的抉择苦恼过。

Luckily that is not so difficult.

幸运的是，这并不那么难。

No results found for this meaning.

Suggestions that contain difficult

Results: 37612,
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困难  kùn nan difficult / challenging / straitened circumstances / difficult situation 艰难  jiān nán difficult / hard / challenging 艰苦  jiān kǔ difficult / hard / arduous 别扭  biè niu awkward / difficult / uncomfortable / not agreeing / at loggerheads / gauche 难  nán difficult (to…) / problem / difficulty / difficult / not good 不易  bù yì not easy to do sth / difficult / unchanging 艰辛  jiān xīn hardships / arduous / difficult 难缠  nán chán (usu. of people) difficult / demanding / troublesome / unreasonable / hard to deal with 艰  jiān difficult / hard / hardship 屯  zhūn difficult / stingy 蹇  jiǎn lame / cripple / unfortunate / slow / difficult / nag (inferior horse) / donkey / lame horse 挠头  náo tóu tricky / problematic / difficult / to scratch one’s head (in puzzlement) 难捱  nán ái trying / difficult 严竣  yán jùn tight / strict / severe / stern / difficult 难过  nán guò to feel sad / to feel unwell / (of life) to be difficult 难题  nán tí difficult problem 好不容易  hǎo bù róng yì with great difficulty / very difficult 难免  nán miǎn hard to avoid / difficult to escape from / will inevitably 困惑  kùn huò bewildered / perplexed / confused / difficult problem / perplexity 难受  nán shòu to feel unwell / to suffer pain / to be difficult to bear 为难  wéi nán to feel embarrassed or awkward / to make things difficult (for someone) / to find things difficult (to do or manage) 狼狈  láng bèi in a difficult situation / to cut a sorry figure / scoundrel! (derog.) 身处  shēn chǔ in (some place) / to be in (adversity, a difficult situation, danger, turmoil etc) / to find oneself in / placed in / surrounded by 疑难  yí nán hard to understand / difficult to deal with / knotty / complicated 艰巨  jiān jù arduous / terrible (task) / very difficult / formidable 过不去  guò bu qù to make life difficult for / to embarrass / unable to make it through 自拔  zì bá to free oneself / to extricate oneself from a difficult situation 两难  liǎng nán dilemma / quandary / to face a difficult choice 难保  nán bǎo hard to say / can’t guarantee / difficult to protect / difficult to preserve 缠身  chán shēn (of an illness, debt etc) to plague sb / to preoccupy sb / difficult to get rid of 攻坚  gōng jiān to assault a fortified position / (fig.) to concentrate one’s efforts on a particularly difficult part of one’s mission 重担  zhòng dàn heavy burden / difficult task / great responsibility 发难  fā nàn to rise in revolt / to raise difficult questions 吃不消  chī bu xiāo to be unable to tolerate or endure / to find sth difficult to manage 刁难  diāo nàn to be hard on sb / to deliberately make things difficult 度日  dù rì to pass one’s days / to scratch out a difficult, meager existence 不在话下  bù zài huà xià to be nothing difficult / to be a cinch 难产  nán chǎn difficult birth / (fig.) difficult to achieve 狂风暴雨  kuáng fēng bào yǔ howling wind and torrential rain (idiom) / (fig.) difficult, dangerous situation 顽症  wán zhèng stubborn illness / disease that is difficult to treat 难懂  nán dǒng difficult to understand 艰险  jiān xiǎn difficult and dangerous / hardships and perils 排忧解难  pái yōu jiě nàn to resolve a difficult situation and leave worries behind (idiom) 困局  kùn jú dilemma / predicament / difficult situation 长途跋涉  cháng tú bá shè long and difficult trek 晦涩  huì sè difficult to understand / cryptic 独木桥  dú mù qiáo single-log bridge / (fig.) difficult path 惹不起  rě bu qǐ can’t afford to offend / dare not provoke / difficult to deal with / insufferable 挖坑  wā kēng to dig a hole / (fig.) to make things difficult for sb / (neologism) (slang) (of a writer) to start work on a new project 万水千山  wàn shuǐ qiān shān ten thousand crags and torrents (idiom) / the trials and tribulations of a long journey / a long and difficult road 寸步难行  cùn bù nán xíng unable to move a single step (idiom) / to be in an (extremely) difficult situation 难走  nán zǒu hard to get to / difficult to travel (i.e. the road is bad) 闹别扭  nào biè niu to be difficult with sb / to provoke disagreement / at loggerheads / to fall out with 万难  wàn nán countless difficulties / extremely difficult / against all odds 险阻  xiǎn zǔ dangerous and difficult (path) 曲高和寡  qǔ gāo hè guǎ difficult songs find few singers (idiom) / highbrow 高难  gāo nán extremely difficult / hard and dangerous / challenging 万事开头难  wàn shì kāi tóu nán every beginning is difficult (idiom) / getting started is always the hardest part 留难  liú nàn to make sth difficult / to create obstacles 困厄  kùn è in deep water / difficult situation 枯木逢春  kū mù féng chūn lit. the spring comes upon a withered tree (idiom) / fig. to get a new lease on life / to be revived / (of a difficult situation) to suddenly improve 穿小鞋  chuān xiǎo xié lit. to make sb wear tight shoes (idiom) / to make life difficult for sb 夹生饭  jiā shēng fàn half-cooked rice / (fig.) half-finished job that is difficult to complete because it was not done properly in the first instance / Taiwan pr. [jia4 sheng5 fan4] 碍难  ài nán inconvenient / difficult for some reason / to find sth embarrassing 佶  jí difficult to pronounce 聱  áo difficult to pronounce 孤掌难鸣  gū zhǎng nán míng It’s hard to clap with only one hand. / It takes two to tango / It’s difficult to achieve anything without support. 爬山涉水  pá shān shè shuǐ to climb mountains and wade rivers (idiom) / fig. to make a long and difficult journey 磨杵成针  mó chǔ chéng zhēn to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom) / fig. to persevere in a difficult task / to study diligently 磨穿铁砚  mó chuān tiě yàn to grind one’s way through an ink stone / to persevere in a difficult task (idiom) / to study diligently (idiom) 碍难从命  ài nán cóng mìng difficult to obey orders (idiom) / much to my embarrassment, I am unable to comply 覆水难收  fù shuǐ nán shōu spilt water is difficult to retrieve (idiom) / it’s no use crying over spilt milk / what’s done is done and can’t be reversed / the damage is done / once divorced, there’s no reuniting 一个巴掌拍不响  yī ge bā zhǎng pāi bù xiǎng lit. one palm alone cannot clap (proverb) / fig. it takes two persons to start a dispute / it takes two to tango / it’s difficult to achieve anything without support 知易行难  zhī yì xíng nán easy to grasp but difficult to put into practice (idiom) / easier said than done 勉为其难  miǎn wéi qí nán to tackle a difficult job (idiom) / to do sth reluctantly 苦差  kǔ chāi hard task / difficult mission / arduous and unrewarding undertaking / drudgery / grind / chore 刺儿头  cì r tóu an awkward person / a difficult person to deal with 彆  biè contrary / difficult / awkward 打横炮  dǎ héng pào to butt in / to interfere / to make things difficult 掯  kèn to push down / to make things difficult / to take by force 破茧成蝶  pò jiǎn chéng dié lit. to break through a cocoon and turn into a butterfly (idiom) / fig. to emerge strong after a period of struggle / to get to a better place after going through difficult period 劳劳碌碌  láo láo lù lù tiring / difficult to get by / painful 千难万难  qiān nán wàn nán extremely difficult 只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针  zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle. / cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom) / fig. to persevere in a difficult task / to study diligently 坐蜡  zuò là to be embarrassed / to be put in a difficult situation 崖岸  yá àn cliff / steep slope / fig. arrogant and difficult person 巴巴结结  bā bā jiē jiē to manage with difficulty / only just getting by / in a difficult position 折挫  zhé cuò to frustrate / to inhibit / to make things difficult 放刁  fàng diāo to act wickedly / to bully / to make life difficult for sb by unreasonable actions 束矢难折  shù shǐ nán zhé lit. bundled arrows are difficult to break / there is strength in unity (idiom) 枷板  jiā bǎn cangue / fig. difficult situation 益觉困难  yì jué kùn nan to find sth increasingly difficult 行动不便  xíng dòng bù biàn unable to move freely / difficult to get about 躲风  duǒ fēng lit. to avoid the wind / fig. to keep low to avoid a difficult situation / to stay out of trouble 进退不得  jìn tuì bù dé can’t advance or retreat (idiom) / no room for maneuver / stalled / in a dilemma / stuck in a difficult position 难以实现  nán yǐ shí xiàn hard to accomplish / difficult to achieve 难于接近  nán yú jiē jìn (of people) difficult to approach / inaccessible 难混  nán hùn difficult to arrange 难為  nán wéi difficult to do / difficult to manage 霜露  shuāng lù frost and dew / fig. difficult conditions