高难度 (gāo nán dù) — high difficulty; high degree of difficulty

Definition

noun

high difficultyhigh degree of difficulty

高难度，。
Zhè ge dòng zuò gāo nán dù hěn dà, xū yào liàn xí hěn jiǔ.
This move has high difficulty and requires a lot of practice.
高难度，。
Zhè cì kǎo shì gāo nán dù hěn gāo, hěn duō xué shēng dōu méi kǎo hǎo.
This exam had high difficulty, and many students didn't do well.
高难度。
Tā xǐ huan tiǎo zhàn gāo nán dù de rèn wu.
He likes to challenge tasks of high difficulty.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

难度degree of difficulty

难nándifficult度dùdegree

偏正Modifier + head

高 means high, and 难度 means degree of difficulty.

Characters in this word

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

石

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.