Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 難 / 难 | nán |
| 困難 / 困难 | kùnnan |
| 艱難 / 艰难 | jiānnán |
The term 'hard' in Chinese typically refers to something requiring a lot of effort to do or understand. While 難 / 难 is the most common way to describe a difficult task or concept, other forms like 困難 / 困难 and 艱難 / 艰难 are used to describe hardships or grueling circumstances.
Which one should you use?
難 / 难 is the basic adjective for difficulty. 困難 / 困难 is a more formal noun or adjective used to describe difficult situations or hardships rather than just a difficult task. 艱難 / 艰难 is a more literary and intense term used to describe extremely arduous or grueling circumstances. Additionally, the term 严峻 can be used to emphasize the severity and seriousness of a difficult situation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 難 / 难 as an adjective, it is grammatically standard to place the adverb 很 (hěn – very) before it, even if you don't mean 'very' intensely.
How do you pronounce it?
nán
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 硬 (yìng) to mean 'difficult'. While 硬 means 'hard' in the sense of physical texture, it cannot be used for tasks or concepts.
Did you know?
- The character 難 / 难 is a phono-semantic compound that originally combined a phonetic element with the radical for 'bird' 隹, referring to a specific species of bird before it was borrowed to mean 'difficulty'.
- In highly formal or political rhetoric, the term 艱難 / 艰难 is used to transform a simple struggle into an epic narrative of national survival.
Examples in context
- 这个数学题太困难了！(zhè gè shù xué tí tài kùn nán le!)This math problem is too hard!
- 他经历了艰难的岁月。(tā jīng lì le jiān nán de suì yuè)He has gone through difficult years.
- 这个游戏有点难。(zhè gè yóu xì yǒu diǎn nán)This game is a bit hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hard” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 難, CC BY-SA 4.0.
