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左右为难 (zuǒ yòu wéi nán) — in a dilemma; faced with a difficult choice; between a rock and a hard place

Definition

A set phrase for being torn between two hard choices — literally 'left and right in difficulty.' Used when both options have real downsides, stronger than a simple 两难.

idiom
in a dilemmafaced with a difficult choicebetween a rock and a hard place

Examples

  • 左右为难，。
    Zhè jiàn shì ràng jīng lǐ zuǒ yòu wéi nán, shí zài bù zhī dào gāi zěn me chǔ lǐ.
    This matter put the manager in a dilemma — he really didn't know how to handle it.
  • ，，左右为难。
    Tā jì bù xiǎng dé zuì péng you, yòu bù xiǎng sā huǎng, zhēn shì zuǒ yòu wéi nán.
    She didn't want to offend her friend, nor did she want to lie — it was really a dilemma.
  • ，左右为难，。
    Miàn duì liǎng gè gōng zuò jī huì, tā zuǒ yòu wéi nán, bù zhī dào xuǎn nǎ ge hǎo.
    Faced with two job offers, he was in a dilemma, not knowing which one to choose.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

左右left and right
左zuǒleft右yòuright
联合Coordinate
为难made difficult
为wèido/make难nándifficult
补充Verb + complement

左右 (left and right) are 为难 (made difficult), giving a dilemma.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
工工gōngwork
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂇
𠂇𠂇左zuǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

左 grew from the picture 𠂇, a left hand, with 工 (work) added later.

Open 左 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu右yòu
Same sound today

右 is made from 又, which supplied the sound, with 口 added as a distinguishing mark.

Open 右 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 難; 难 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
隹隹zhuībird
Sound part声符shēngfú
暵
暵hàn難nán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 難 pairs 隹, a bird, with 暵 for sound, and meant a type of bird. It was later borrowed for other meanings; the modern 难 is a shorthand.

Open 难 →
Appears in
Conflict & AgreementIdioms & Set Phrases

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