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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "difficult" in Chinese?
困难
kùnnán
In Chinese, "difficult" is 困难.
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Pronunciation
Two syllables: 'koon' (falling tone, like saying 'coo-oo') and 'nan' (falling tone, like saying 'nah'), both descending pitch creates a labored sound.
Writing and usage
Two characters combining 13 strokes; the first relates to difficulty or trouble (being trapped), the second means hardship.
Example sentence
这个问题很困难。
This problem is very difficult.
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How to remember 困难
Both characters suggest being stuck or blocked, unable to move forward easily.
Related words
- beautiful 美丽 měilì
- cloudy 多云 duō yún
- expensive 贵 guì
- fifty-five 五十五 wǔ shí wǔ
- heavy 重 zhòng
- seventy-two 七十二 qī shí èr
- sixty-four 六十四 liù shí sì
- sixty-nine 六十九 liù shí jiǔ
- windy 大风 dà fēng
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 困难
How do you say "difficult" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "difficult" is 困难. It is a noun.
How is 困难 written in Chinese?
Two characters combining 13 strokes; the first relates to difficulty or trouble (being trapped), the second means hardship.
How is 困难 used in a sentence?
Use 困难 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 这个问题很困难。 (This problem is very difficult.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Difficult" in other languages
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