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难以 (nán yǐ) — hard to (do something); difficult to

Definition

A formal written phrase meaning 'hard to / difficult to' that goes directly before a verb. Stronger than the everyday 难, and more literary than 无法 ('unable to').

verb
hard to (do something)difficult to

Examples

  • 难以。
    Zhè ge wèn tí nán yǐ huí dá.
    This question is hard to answer.
  • 难以。
    Tā de xiǎng fǎ nán yǐ lǐ jiě.
    His ideas are hard to understand.
  • 难以。
    Zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng nán yǐ bì miǎn.
    This kind of situation is hard to avoid.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

难nándifficult
以yǐsuffix

难 ('difficult') combines with 以 to mean 'hard to do something'.

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 →
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