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难能可贵 (nán néng kě guì) — rare and commendable; admirable; remarkable

Definition

An idiom praising something that is hard to do yet worth doing — commend-worthy because of its rarity. Stronger than 难得一见 (rare to see); focuses on the admirable quality, not just scarcity.

phrase
rare and commendableadmirableremarkable

Examples

  • 难能可贵。
    Tā zhè zhǒng jiān chí bú xiè de jīng shén zhēn shì nán néng kě guì.
    His persistent and unyielding spirit is truly admirable.
  • ，，难能可贵。
    Zài zhè ge fú zào de shí dài, néng jìng xià xīn lái dú shū, shí zài nán néng kě guì.
    In this restless era, being able to calm down and read is truly rare and commendable.
  • ，难能可贵。
    Tā jiān chí xué xí zhōng wén duō nián, zhè zhǒng yì lì shí zài nán néng kě guì.
    She has persisted in learning Chinese for many years — such perseverance is truly remarkable.

Origin

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.

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 →

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

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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