步履艰难 (bù lǚ jiān nán) — to walk with difficulty; to have trouble walking; (figurative) to struggle to make progress

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'to walk with difficulty', used literally for people (old age, injury) and figuratively for organizations or efforts struggling to move forward.

verb
to walk with difficultyto have trouble walking(figurative) to struggle to make progress

Examples

  • ，步履艰难。
    Yé ye nián jì dà le, yǐ jīng bù lǚ jiān nán le.
    Grandpa is old and already walks with difficulty.
  • 步履艰难，。
    Tā tuǐ shòu shāng hòu bù lǚ jiān nán, zhǐ néng zhǔ zhe guǎi zhàng màn màn zǒu.
    After his leg was injured, he walked with difficulty and could only move slowly with a crutch.
  • 步履艰难，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī zài jīng jì wēi jī zhōng bù lǚ jiān nán, dàn zuì zhōng hái shì jiān chí xià lái le.
    This company struggled to make progress through the economic crisis but eventually held on.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.

Open 步 →

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

Early 履 put together 眉, 頁 (a person with a prominent head), 止 (foot), and 舟 (a shoe or shoe-shaped boat).

Open 履 →

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 艱; 艰 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𦰩𦰩𦰩
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn艱jiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 艱 pairs 𦰩 for meaning with 艮 for sound; the simplified 艰 is a later abbreviation.

Open 艰 →

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 →

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