高难 (gāo nán) — very difficult; extremely challenging

Definition

adjective

very difficultextremely challenging

高难，。
Zhè ge rèn wu fēi cháng gāo nán, xū yào hěn duō shí jiān.
This task is very difficult and requires a lot of time.
高难，。
Zhè dào shù xué tí tài gāo nán le, wǒ jiě bù chū lái.
This math problem is too difficult; I can't solve it.
高难。
Tā miàn duì de shì yí gè gāo nán de tiǎo zhàn.
He is facing a very difficult challenge.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

难nándifficult

高 high and 难 difficult combine to mean very difficult.

Characters in this word

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

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.