棘手

• Pinyin: jí shǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 棘 = 朿 + 朿 (double thorn — thorny shrub); 手 = pictograph of a hand

Meaning

Thorny; difficult to handle. Describes a problem or situation that is complicated and hard to resolve.

A common idiom used in formal speech, diplomacy, and business to describe sensitive or intractable issues. Implies that dealing with it requires care and skill.

Examples

1. 这件事情非常棘手，处理不当会引发更大的矛盾。 This matter is extremely tricky; if it’s mishandled, it could trigger even bigger conflicts.
2. 外交官们面对这一棘手局面，需要极为谨慎地措辞。 Facing this thorny situation, the diplomats need to choose their words with great care.
3. 案件牵涉多方利益，调查人员感到十分棘手。 Because the case involves the interests of many parties, the investigators find it very difficult to handle.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, law, business, politics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 跨境数据流动的监管权限划分一直是各国政府之间最为棘手的议题之一，目前尚无被广泛接受的国际法律框架。(The delineation of regulatory jurisdiction over cross-border data flows has long been one of the thorniest issues among governments worldwide, with no widely accepted international legal framework yet in place.)
• 劳动争议调解员坦言，涉及连续加班补偿的集体纠纷尤为棘手，因为举证责任与劳资双方的话语权不对等问题常常交织在一起。(Labour dispute mediators frankly acknowledge that collective disputes involving compensation for continuous overtime are particularly thorny, as the burden of proof and the asymmetry of voice between employers and employees are often intertwined.)

Don't Say

• 棘手的问题很难解决 — redundant; 棘手 already implies difficulty; just say 这个问题很棘手

Origin & History

棘 (thorny jujube shrub) + 手 (hand) — like grabbing thorns, hard to handle

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal