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Character Breakdown

Usage of (nán)

The character primarily means "difficult" or "hard to do." It is commonly used to describe tasks, situations, or feelings that are challenging or troublesome.

Common contexts

  • Describing difficulty in solving problems or performing actions: e.g., "" (This problem is difficult).
  • Expressing emotional or mental difficulty, such as accepting facts or decisions.
  • Indicating rarity or preciousness when combined with (e.g., 难得), meaning "rarely" or "hard to come by."

Collocations and patterns

  • + verb: emphasizes difficulty in doing something (e.g., 接受 - hard to accept).
  • 难得 + verb phrase: expresses rarity or valuable opportunity.

Nuances

When using , speakers often imply a subjective sense of challenge or emotional resistance. It can describe both physical difficulty and psychological or social obstacles.

Avoid confusing with similar words like (kǔ), which emphasizes suffering or bitterness rather than difficulty.

Register

is neutral and widely used in both spoken and written Mandarin, suitable for everyday conversation and formal contexts.

Example Sentences

This math problem is very difficult; I worked on it for a long time before

He finds it hard to accept this fact.

It’s rare to have the chance to travel with friends; we must cherish it.