难 (nán) — difficult, hard (to do); (before verbs) bad, unpleasant
Definition
难 (nán) means 'difficult' for tasks and skills, or 'bad/unpleasant' placed directly before a verb (难吃 'tastes bad'). As a plain adjective, it's lighter than 困难 (more formal, also a noun for a difficulty) and 艰难 (hardship, much stronger).
difficulthard (to do)(before verbs) badunpleasant
Examples
- 。Zhè dào tí bù nán.This problem isn't difficult.
- 。Zhè ge cài hěn nán chī.This dish tastes bad.
- 。Zhōng wén bù nán xué.Chinese isn't hard to learn.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Grammar
Appears in
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