難 / 难
nán
The basic Chinese word for difficult is 難 / 难 (nán), meaning hard or not easy. If unsure, use 難 / 难. Wiktionary also lists 困難 / 困难 (kùnnán) and 艱難 / 艰难 (jiānnán).
Meaning: hard, not easy (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 難 / 难 | nán |
| 困難 / 困难 | kùnnán |
| 艱難 / 艰难 | jiānnán |
难 is the common, general word for difficult in Mandarin. 不易 is another way to say something is not easy.
Which one should you use?
困難 / 困难 (kùnnán) is more formal and often refers to abstract difficulties, hardships or complex situations rather than just a hard task. 艱難 / 艰难 (jiānnán) is the most formal and carries heavy emotional weight, typically for life changing hardships or a very arduous journey.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, people commonly say 好難 for difficult.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a predicate, 難 is usually preceded by an adverb of degree such as 很, as in 很難, to mean something is difficult. To say a task is difficult to do, combine it with 做 to get 難做.
How do you pronounce it?
Say nán with a rising tone.
What mistakes should you avoid?
难得 does not mean difficult. It describes something rare or hard to come by.
Did you know?
- The character for 'difficult' 難 / 难 contains the radical for 'bird' 隹. Originally it referred to a specific type of bird before the word was borrowed to mean 'hard'.
- In Chinese, the word 困難 / 困难 can function as a noun meaning 'a problem' or 'a hardship'. You can literally 'have' 困難 / 困难 in the same way an English speaker has 'troubles'.
Examples in context
- 这个问题很难。This problem is difficult.
- 我们遇到了很多困难。We encountered many difficulties.
- 这样的机会真难得。Such opportunities are really hard to come by.
- 你要明白，成功不易。You need to understand that success is not easy.
- 呢道題好難喎。This question is so difficult.
- 我們經歷了很多困苦。We have experienced many difficulties.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “difficult” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 難, CC BY-SA 4.0.
