Meanings of 難
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About 難
Podcast: 難
Podcast: 難
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AI Study Notes for 難
艱 (jiān) — use 難 (nán) for general difficulty, while 艱 (jiān) implies a more serious or arduous challenge.
Be careful to use 難 in the correct context; it can imply both the challenge of a task and the inability to do something. Common phrases include '難以' (nán yǐ, difficult to) and '難題' (nán tí, difficult problem). Avoid confusing it with '容易' (róng yì, easy), which has the opposite meaning.
Although 難 is not part of the official HSK levels, it is essential for learners at the intermediate level as it connects to various common verbs and adjectives expressing difficulty. Students should practice using it in context, especially in combination with verbs to describe challenging actions.
A common mistake is to use 難 in contexts where 'hard' is not appropriate, such as saying '這道菜很難' (This dish is hard) instead of '這道菜很好' (This dish is good). Always consider if the context genuinely expresses difficulty.
Pronunciation of 難
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Etymology of 難
Phonosemantic compound. 隹 represents the meaning and 堇 represents the sound. The character is based on the original meaning "type of bird", which is unrelated to the modern meaning. The simplified character 难 was adapted from the cursive form of th
bird
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 難
Phonosemantic compound. 隹 represents the meaning and 堇 represents the sound. The character is based on the original meaning "type of bird", which is unrelated to the modern meaning. The simplified character 难 was adapted from the cursive form of th
- 1The meaning half隹 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half堇 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaybird
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 難? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 難
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How to say hard, difficult, arduous; unable in Chinese
“hard, difficult, arduous; unable” in Chinese is難
The character 難 (nán) means 'hard' or 'difficult', often used to describe tasks, situations, or problems that are challenging to overcome. It can also convey a sense of being unable to do something. In everyday conversations, it frequently appears in phrases that express difficulty or obstacles.
When to use 難
Be careful to use 難 in the correct context; it can imply both the challenge of a task and the inability to do something. Common phrases include '難以' (nán yǐ, difficult to) and '難題' (nán tí, difficult problem). Avoid confusing it with '容易' (róng yì, easy), which has the opposite meaning.
難 or something close to it
艱 (jiān) — use 難 (nán) for general difficulty, while 艱 (jiān) implies a more serious or arduous challenge.
What learners get wrong
A common mistake is to use 難 in contexts where 'hard' is not appropriate, such as saying '這道菜很難' (This dish is hard) instead of '這道菜很好' (This dish is good). Always consider if the context genuinely expresses difficulty.
Write 難
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Word Family of 難
Compound Meaning
What does 难 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 難
You can use it in sentences like '這個問題很難' (Zhège wèntí hěn nán - This problem is very difficult).
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