不易

• Pinyin: bù yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 (not) + 易 (easy, simple) — originally a pictograph of a lizard, extended to mean change/easy

Meaning

Not easy; difficult; hard to come by. Something that requires considerable effort or is rare.

More literary than 不容易. Used to express that something is challenging or precious. Common phrases: 来之不易 (hard-won), 实属不易 (truly not easy), 得之不易 (not easily obtained). Often carries a tone of appreciation for effort.

Examples

1. 今天的幸福生活来之不易，我们要珍惜。 Today's happy life was hard-won; we should cherish it.
2. 在大城市买房实属不易，很多人奋斗多年才能实现。 Buying a house in a big city is truly not easy; many people struggle for years to make it happen.
3. 照顾老人不易，需要足够的耐心和爱心。 Caring for the elderly is not easy; it requires enough patience and love.

Usage Guide

Context: appreciation, reflection, formal writing

Tone: appreciative

Do Say

• 养育孩子不易。(Raising children is not easy.)
• 这份工作得之不易。(This job was hard to get.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中过度使用'不易'——口语中更常用'不容易' (Don't overuse 不易 in casual speech — 不容易 is more commonly used in spoken Chinese)

Origin & History

Classical Chinese compound of 不 (not) + 易 (easy, change), meaning not easy to accomplish.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal