难 (nán) - Difficult, hard & hardship, adversity

难Tone 2

nán ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

娜楠

难 · nán

Difficult, hard;

hardship, adversity;

to make things difficult;

to blame, reproach;

also used in the sense of disaster or calamity.

Difficult, hardhardship, adversityto make things difficult

Usage highlights

DifficultHard to avoidHard to sayHard to endureHard to doDisaster

Synonyms

  • 困— difficulty, hardship
  • 艰— difficult, hard
  • 苦— bitter, hardship

Antonyms

  • 易— easy, simple
  • 简— simple, brief
  • 便— convenient, easy

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This question is very difficult (这个问题很难).
  • We encountered many difficulties (我们遇到了很多困难).
  • Don't make things hard for others (不要为难别人).
  • It's hard to avoid making mistakes (难免会犯错).

Collocations

  • Difficult(困难)
  • Hard to avoid(难免)
  • Hard to say(难说)
  • Hard to endure(难受)
  • Hard to do(难办)
  • Disaster(灾难)

Idioms

  • In dire straits(进退两难)
  • Hard to get along with(难兄难弟)
  • Hard to give up(难舍难分)
  • Hard to tell good from bad(良莠难分)
  • Hard to guard against(防不胜防)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character appears in many idioms about adversity and challenges in life.
  • In traditional Chinese philosophy, overcoming difficulties is seen as character-building.
  • The character is also used in Buddhist contexts to describe the hardships of worldly existence.

FAQ