How do you say "challenge" in Chinese?

挑战

tiǎo zhàn

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "challenge" is 挑战 (tiǎo zhàn).

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Pronunciation

It's spoken "tiǎo zhàn" (third tone, then fourth tone), where dipping low then curling back up, like a small scoop; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.

Writing and usage

挑战 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

攀登这座山确实是一项真正的挑战。

pān dēng zhè zuò shān què shí shì yī xiàng zhēn zhèng de tiǎo zhàn 。

Climbing the mountain was a real challenge.

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How to remember 挑战

Think of the scene from "Climbing the mountain was a real challenge"; it pairs naturally with the sound "tiǎo zhàn".

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 挑战

How do you pronounce 挑战?

It's spoken "tiǎo zhàn" (third tone, then fourth tone), where dipping low then curling back up, like a small scoop; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.

Is 挑战 formal or casual?

挑战 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 挑战 used in Chinese?

挑战 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 攀登这座山确实是一项真正的挑战。 (Climbing the mountain was a real challenge.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Challenge" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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