Usage of 难 (nán)
The character 难 primarily means "difficult" or "hard to do." It is commonly used to describe tasks, situations, or feelings that are challenging or troublesome.
Common contexts
- Describing difficulty in solving problems or performing actions: e.g., "这道题很难" (This problem is difficult).
- Expressing emotional or mental difficulty, such as accepting facts or decisions.
- Indicating rarity or preciousness when combined with 得 (e.g., 难得), meaning "rarely" or "hard to come by."
Collocations and patterns
- 难 + verb: emphasizes difficulty in doing something (e.g., 难接受 - hard to accept).
- 难得 + verb phrase: expresses rarity or valuable opportunity.
Nuances
When using 难, speakers often imply a subjective sense of challenge or emotional resistance. It can describe both physical difficulty and psychological or social obstacles.
Avoid confusing 难 with similar words like 苦 (kǔ), which emphasizes suffering or bitterness rather than difficulty.
Register
难 is neutral and widely used in both spoken and written Mandarin, suitable for everyday conversation and formal contexts.