难 nán difficult
difficult; unpleasant
How to remember 难: 又 again + 隹 pigeon = difficult. The tourist in the square tries again and again to catch a pigeon for a selfie, which is very difficult.
Component breakdown
难 = 又 again + 隹 pigeon
- 又 again
- 隹 pigeon
The tourist in the square tries again and again to catch a pigeon for a selfie, which is very difficult.
How it came to be
A short-tailed bird with a hand reaching for it; the full form adds a part on the left for the sound. Catching a bird with bare hands is the picture, and it is not easy.
How it is used
- Difficult / hard to do - 这道题很难 (zhè dào tí hěn nán) this problem is hard.
- Very productive as 'hard/unpleasant to [verb]': 难吃 (nánchī) tastes bad, 难看 (nánkàn) ugly, 难受 (nánshòu) feel awful, 难忘 (nánwàng) unforgettable.
- 难道 (nándào) is a rhetorical 'don't tell me...?' - 难道你不知道 (nándào nǐ bù zhīdào) you mean you didn't know? Has an alt reading nàn (as in 难民 nànmín, refugee).
Characters built with 难
Words with 难
- 难过nánguòsadHSK 3
- 难听nántīngunpleasant to hearHSK 3
- 难看nánkànuglyHSK 3
- 难题nántídifficult problemHSK 3
- 难道nándàocould it be that ...?HSK 4
- 困难kùnnandifficultyHSK 4
- 难受nánshòufeel unwellHSK 4
- 难忘nánwàngunforgettableHSK 4
- 难以nányǐhard to (predict, imagine etc)HSK 5
- 难度nándùdegree of difficultyHSK 5
- 难得nándéseldomHSK 5
- 为难wéinánto feel embarrassed or awkwardHSK 6
- 灾难zāinàndisasterHSK 6
- 艰难jiānnándifficultHSK 6
- 难免nánmiǎnhard to avoidHSK 6
- 难点nándiǎndifficultyHSK 6
- 在所难免zàisuǒnánmiǎnto be unavoidable (idiom)HSK 7
- 空难kōngnànair crashHSK 7
- 苦难kǔnànsufferingHSK 7
- 遇难yùnànto perishHSK 7
- 难为情nánwéiqíngembarrassedHSK 7
- 难关nánguāndifficultyHSK 7
- 难处nánchùtroubleHSK 7
- 难得一见nándéyíjiànrarely seenHSK 7
- 难怪nánguàino wonder (that...)HSK 7
- 难能可贵nánnéng-kěguìrare and preciousHSK 7
- 刁难diāonànto be hard on somebodyHSK 8
- 磨难mónàna tormentHSK 9
- 避难bìnànto take refugeHSK 9
- 难以置信nányǐ-zhìxìnhard to believeHSK 9
- 难堪nánkānhard to takeHSK 9
Example sentences
- 中文很难学。 Zhōngwén hěn nán xué.Chinese is very difficult.
- 这道数学题很难。 Zhè dào shùxué tí hěn nán.This math problem is very difficult.
- 这个数学题很难。 Zhège shùxuétí hěn nán.This math problem is difficult.
- 这本书的内容很难。 Zhè běn shū de nèiróng hěn nán.The content of this book is difficult.