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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "hard" in Chinese?
很用力
hěn yòng lì
In Chinese, "hard" is 很用力 (hěn yòng lì).
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Pronunciation
Say hěn yòng lì with "hěn" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "yòng" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "lì" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Writing and usage
很用力 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
这块石头非常坚硬。
zhè kuài shí tou fēi cháng jiān yìng 。
This rock is very hard.
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How to remember 很用力
"hěn yòng lì" sounds a little like "huhn yoong lee" in English, so picture hard to lock in the connection.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 很用力
How do you pronounce 很用力?
Say hěn yòng lì with "hěn" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "yòng" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "lì" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Is 很用力 formal or casual?
很用力 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 很用力 used in Chinese?
很用力 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 这块石头非常坚硬。 (This rock is very hard.).
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.
"Hard" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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