刁难 diāonàn to be hard on somebody
to be hard on somebody; to deliberately make things difficult; Taiwan pr.
How to remember 刁难: 刁 tricky + 难 difficult = to be hard on somebody.
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How it is used
- 'To deliberately make things hard for someone / put obstacles in their way' - 故意刁难 (gùyì diāonàn) to be deliberately obstructive, 百般刁难 (bǎibān diāonàn) to make things difficult in every way.
- Implies a petty, willful creation of hurdles to harass someone, often by a person in a position of small power.