出难题 (chū nán tí) — to set a difficult problem or task; to create difficulties for someone, to put someone in a tough spot

Definition

出难题 is a colloquial verb phrase meaning to deliberately make things hard for someone — note the separable-verb pattern 出 + 难题 (so 别给我出难题了, not 别出难题给我了).

verb
to set a difficult problem or taskto create difficulties for someone, to put someone in a tough spot

Examples

  • 出难题。
    Lǎo bǎn yòu gěi wǒ chū nán tí le.
    The boss is giving me a hard time again.
  • 。
    Lǎo shī chū le yí dào nán tí ràng wǒ men zuò.
    The teacher set a difficult problem for us to solve.
  • 出难题，。
    Bié gěi wǒ chū nán tí le, wǒ zhēn de máng bú guò lái.
    Don't make things hard for me — I really can't handle it.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 題; 题 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì題tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 题, the traditional form 題 uses 是 for sound and 頁 for head, and means 'forehead'.

Open 题 →

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