艰 (jiān) - difficult, hard, arduous & hardship, suffering

艰Tone 1

jiān ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 艮

嘉健

艰 · jiān

difficult, hard, arduous;

hardship, suffering

difficult, hard, arduoushardship, suffering

Usage highlights

difficult and arduoushardship and difficultyarduous taskhardship and bitternessdifficult and dangerousprofoundly difficult

Synonyms

  • 难— difficult, hard
  • 困— difficult, hardship
  • 苦— bitter, hardship

Antonyms

  • 易— easy, simple
  • 顺— smooth, favorable
  • 安— peaceful, comfortable

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This task is very difficult (艰巨的任务).
  • They endured great hardship (艰难困苦).
  • We are facing difficult times (艰苦的时期).
  • This is a challenging project (艰巨的项目).

Collocations

  • difficult and arduous(艰苦)
  • hardship and difficulty(艰难)
  • arduous task(艰巨)
  • hardship and bitterness(艰辛)
  • difficult and dangerous(艰险)
  • profoundly difficult(艰深)

Idioms

  • Through thick and thin(艰苦卓绝)
  • Endure hardship and work hard(艰苦奋斗)
  • The journey is full of difficulties(步履维艰)
  • Overcome difficulties and dangers(排除艰险)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Represents the traditional Chinese value of perseverance through adversity.
  • Often appears in contexts emphasizing resilience and overcoming challenges.
  • Associated with the Confucian ideal of enduring hardship to achieve moral cultivation.

FAQ