困難

• Reading: こんなん
• Romaji: konnan
• Kanji breakdown: 困 (kon) — be troubled, suffer; 難 (nan) — difficult, hard
• Pronunciation: /koɴ.naɴ/

Meaning

Difficulty; hardship; trouble. A serious challenge or obstacle.

Functions as both a noun and na-adjective (困難な). More formal and serious than 大変 or 難しい. Often used in written language, news, and academic contexts to describe significant challenges such as economic hardship or obstacles to progress.

Examples

1. 多くの困難を乗り越えて彼は成功した。 He succeeded after overcoming many difficulties.
2. 資金不足で計画の実行が困難になった。 A lack of funding made it difficult to carry out the plan.
3. 困難な状況でも諦めないことが大切だ。 It's important not to give up even in difficult situations.

Usage Guide

Context: news, academic, formal speech

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Compound of 困 (kon, to be troubled/in difficulty) and 難 (nan, difficult/hard). Both characters convey hardship, creating an emphatic expression of difficulty.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal