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难以忍受 (nán yǐ rěn shòu) — unbearable; hard to endure; intolerable

Definition

A four-character idiom for something extremely unpleasant and hard to put up with — stronger than just 'uncomfortable', close in force to 'intolerable'.

idiom
unbearablehard to endureintolerable

Examples

  • 难以忍受。
    Zhè zhǒng téng tòng zhēn de ràng rén nán yǐ rěn shòu.
    This kind of pain is truly unbearable.
  • 难以忍受。
    Xià tiān de mēn rè lìng rén nán yǐ rěn shòu.
    The muggy heat of summer is hard to bear.
  • 难以忍受。
    Tā duì tóng shì de ào màn tài dù gǎn dào nán yǐ rěn shòu.
    He found his colleague's arrogant attitude intolerable.

Origin

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.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

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

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →
Appears in
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