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March 24, 2026
艰(艱)jiān(jian1)
The character 艰 (jiān) means 'difficult' or 'hard,' often in the context of challenges or hardships. It is commonly used to describe situations that require significant effort or perseverance, such as overcoming obstacles in life or work.
Strokes8Radical又Frequency#37689DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
The concept of overcoming艰 (jiān) is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, often reflected in literature and proverbs that emphasize resilience and the importance of enduring hardships to achieve success.
Memory Tip
Imagine a rugged mountain (艰) that is hard to climb. The left side of the character resembles a person struggling up the slope, while the right side can be seen as the sharp peaks of the mountain, symbolizing the difficulties faced in life. Remember 'jiān' as you picture this tough ascent.
Meanings of 艰
jiān(jian1)
1difficult
2hard
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 艰
艰Simplified
艱Traditional
8Strokes
又Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#37689Frequency Rank
Podcast: 艰
Podcast: 艰
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AI Study Notes for 艰
Quick Contrast
艰 (jiān) vs 难 (nán) — use 艰 for a focus on effort and perseverance in overcoming challenges, while 难 emphasizes the inherent difficulty of a situation.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 艰 with similar characters like 难 (nán), which also means 'difficult' but carries a slightly different connotation. 艰 is more formal and often used in literary or academic contexts. Be careful to pronounce it with a level tone, as misplacing the tone can change its meaning.
HSK Study Tips
Although 艰 is not included in the official HSK levels, it relates to HSK vocabulary that describes challenges or difficulties, such as 难 (nán). Focus on understanding its usage in phrases and contexts that describe hardships to enrich your vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 艰 in casual contexts where simpler terms like 难 would be more appropriate. For example, saying '这道题太艰了' (This question is too difficult) sounds overly formal; instead, use '这道题太难了'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 艰
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How Well Do You Know 艰?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 艰 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
艰 = 艮 + 堇. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 艰
IDS Structure⿰又艮
艰Full Character
=
又you4
left
艮gen3
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 艰?
How to say difficult in Chinese
“difficult” in Chinese is艰jiān
The character 艰 (jiān) means 'difficult' or 'hard,' often in the context of challenges or hardships. It is commonly used to describe situations that require significant effort or perseverance, such as overcoming obstacles in life or work.
When to use 艰
Learners often confuse 艰 with similar characters like 难 (nán), which also means 'difficult' but carries a slightly different connotation. 艰 is more formal and often used in literary or academic contexts. Be careful to pronounce it with a level tone, as misplacing the tone can change its meaning.
艰 or something close to it
艰 (jiān) vs 难 (nán) — use 艰 for a focus on effort and perseverance in overcoming challenges, while 难 emphasizes the inherent difficulty of a situation.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 艰 in casual contexts where simpler terms like 难 would be more appropriate. For example, saying '这道题太艰了' (This question is too difficult) sounds overly formal; instead, use '这道题太难了'.
Write 艰
艰
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Practice writing 艰 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 艰
艰 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
