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难度 (nán dù) — difficulty level, degree of difficulty

Definition

难度 refers to the abstract level or degree of difficulty of a task, exam, or problem — not a specific difficult thing. Compare 难题 (a difficult problem) and 难点 (a specific sticking point).

noun
difficulty leveldegree of difficulty

Examples

  • 难度。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì de nán dù bǐ shàng cì gāo duō le.
    The difficulty level of this exam is much higher than last time.
  • 难度，。
    Zhè ge rèn wu de nán dù hěn dà, nǐ yào jiā yóu.
    The difficulty of this task is very high; you need to work hard.
  • 难度。
    Wǒ bú tài míng bai zhè ge wèn tí de nán dù.
    I don't quite understand the difficulty of this problem.

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nándifficulty
度dùdegree

难 (difficulty) plus 度 (degree) gives the degree of difficulty.

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 →

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
又又yòuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
石
石shí度dù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Open 度 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Good & Bad

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