伤脑筋 (shāng nǎo jīn) — to be a real headache; to be troublesome; to cause one to rack one's brains
Definition
Colloquial phrase meaning a problem is 'a real headache' — something that makes you rack your brain. Often used with 很 or 真 to stress how troublesome it is.
phrase
to be a real headacheto be troublesometo cause one to rack one's brains
Examples
- 伤脑筋。Zhè dào shù xué kǎo shì de zuì hòu yí dào tí zhēn shāng nǎo jīn.That last problem on the math exam was a real headache.
- ，伤脑筋。Hái zi bù kěn xué xīn dān cí, hěn shāng nǎo jīn.The child refuses to learn new vocabulary — it's so troublesome.
- ，，伤脑筋。Zhè ge jì huà zěn me shí shī, wǒ yì zhí xiǎng le hěn jiǔ, zhēn de shāng nǎo jīn.I've been thinking for a long time about how to implement this plan — it's plan; it really gives me a headache.
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