艰难

• Pinyin: jiān nán
• Hanzi breakdown: 艰 = 艮 (stubborn) + 难 component, meaning difficult; 难 = 堇 (clay) + 隹 (bird), meaning difficult

Meaning

Difficult; hard; arduous. Full of difficulties or obstacles.

Describes situations or processes full of difficulties. More general than 艰苦, can apply to emotional, physical, or situational challenges. Common in formal writing and describing challenging journeys or decisions.

Examples

1. 创业的道路充满艰难险阻，但他从未想过退缩。 The road to entrepreneurship is full of hardships and obstacles, but he never thought of retreating.
2. 在那段艰难的日子里，朋友的支持让我度过了难关。 During those difficult days, the support of friends helped me get through the hard times.
3. 做出这个决定对她来说是艰难的，但她知道这是正确的选择。 Making this decision was difficult for her, but she knew it was the right choice.

Usage Guide

Context: challenges, emotions, decisions, journeys

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这是一个艰难的决定。(This is a difficult decision.)
• 他们经历了艰难的时期。(They went through a difficult period.)

Don't Say

• 这道菜做得很艰难 (For describing cooking, use 难做 — 艰难 is for serious life challenges)

Origin & History

Compound of 艰 (difficult) + 难 (hard, difficult), reinforcing the meaning of great difficulty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal