难过

• Pinyin: nán guò
• Hanzi breakdown: 难 (nán) — difficult; 过 (guò) — to pass, to get through

Meaning

Sad; upset; to feel bad. Describes emotional distress or sadness.

Primarily describes emotional sadness or feeling bad about something. Can also occasionally mean physically uncomfortable, though this usage is less common. Stronger than 不高兴 (unhappy) but milder than 伤心 (heartbroken).

Examples

1. 听到这个消息，她很难过。 She was very sad when she heard the news.
2. 别难过了，一切都会好的。 Don't be sad — everything will be fine.
3. 考试没考好，他心里很难过。 He didn't do well on the exam and felt really bad about it.

Usage Guide

Context: emotion, comfort, everyday

Tone: sympathetic

Do Say

• 你看起来很难过，怎么了？(You look upset — what's wrong?)
• 分手以后她一直很难过。(She's been sad ever since the breakup.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'我难过你' (Don't say 我难过你 — 难过 doesn't take a direct object; say 我为你难过 or 我对这件事很难过)

Origin & History

Compound of 难 (difficult) and 过 (to pass/get through). Literally 'difficult to get through', describing an emotional state that is hard to endure.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal