难 + Verb (difficult to do)

• Pinyin: nán
• Formation: Subject + (很) 难 + Verb / Sense Verb
• Hanzi breakdown: 难 = 又 (again/hand) + 隹 (short-tailed bird)

Meaning

The adjective 难 (nán) is placed before certain verbs to express that an action is difficult to perform. Common combinations include 难做 (hard to do), 难说 (hard to say), 难懂 (hard to understand), and 难看 (ugly / hard to look at).

难 frequently combines with sense verbs and common action verbs to form compound adjectives: 难看 (ugly), 难听 (unpleasant-sounding), 难吃 (bad-tasting), 难闻 (bad-smelling), 难受 (uncomfortable), 难过 (sad). These compounds have become fixed expressions with meanings that go beyond simply 'difficult to V.' When 难 is used more literally with other verbs, 很 can be added for emphasis: 很难说 (really hard to say), 很难做 (really hard to do). Note the difference between 难 + Verb (hard to do) and Verb + 不了 (unable to do) — the former emphasizes difficulty while the latter emphasizes inability.

Examples

1. 这道数学题太难做了。 This math problem is too hard to solve.
2. 他的字很难看懂。 His handwriting is very hard to read.
3. 这种药特别难吃。 This medicine tastes really bad.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: evaluative

Do Say

• 这篇文章的内容很难理解。
• 这首歌的歌词很难记住。
• 这种菜闻起来很难闻，但是很好吃。

Don't Say

• 这个题难很做。(很 should come before 难, not between 难 and the verb — say 很难做, not 难很做) → 这个题很难做。
• 我难学中文。(难 needs to directly precede the verb it modifies, and the subject of difficulty should be the action itself — say 中文很难学 or 学中文很难) → 中文很难学。

Origin & History

难 originally depicted a bird (隹) trapped in mud or difficult terrain (又), conveying the idea of being stuck in a difficult situation. This vivid image of being unable to move freely became the general word for 'difficult' in Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal