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磨难 (mó nàn) — hardship; suffering; tribulation

Definition

磨难 is a noun for hardships or trials one endures over time (苦难, 折磨 describe the suffering itself). 比 考验 more concrete and personal — the hardship you actually go through, not the test that sets it up.

noun
hardshipsufferingtribulation

Examples

  • 磨难，。
    Rén shēng zhōng zǒng huì yǒu yì xiē mó nàn, guān jiàn shì rú hé miàn duì.
    There will always be some hardships in life; the key is how to face them.
  • 磨难，。
    Jīng guò duō nián de mó nàn, tā zhōng yú shí xiàn le mèng xiǎng.
    After years of tribulation, he finally realized his dream.
  • 磨难。
    Zhè xiē mó nàn ràng tā biàn de gèng jiā jiān qiáng.
    These sufferings made him stronger.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

磨mótorment
难nándisaster

磨 (torment) and 难 (disaster) together name hardship or tribulation.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
靡
靡mí磨mó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

磨 combines 石, showing rock, with 靡 for the sound.

Open 磨 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.