HanziGuru.難 · nán
難
nán[nan2]Tone 2

difficult

HSK 1
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难
Multiple Readings (多音字):
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English · difficult

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:18
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (又 modified) and the right side (隹) must share the horizontal space harmoniously, keeping the overall silhouette compact despite the high stroke count.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 難 is simplified to 难 by replacing the complex phonetic right component with 又 (yòu), dramatically reducing stroke count while retaining phonetic/visual cues.
1. Meaning

difficult, hard to do or deal with

problemdifficultytroublenot good
Adjective / NounNeutral#evaluation#ability#state
Sample Usage
  • 这个汉字很难。
    Zhè gè hànzì hěn nán.
    This Chinese character is very difficult.
  • 遇到困难不要怕。
    Yù dào kùnnan bú yào pà.
    Don't be afraid when you encounter difficulties.
2. Sound
/[nan³⁵]/Tone: 35
難
nánnan2
++
´(35)
=nán
Initial Consonant
n
Type: Alveolar Nasal
Sounds like: n sound as in 'no'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Air passes completely through nose.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth.
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -an rhymes with 'bun' or 'run' but with an 'ah' mouth opening
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from middle to high pitch, exactly like asking 'Huh?' or 'What?' in English when you didn't quite catch something.
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2, it shifts slightly, but as an isolated syllable it maintains its rising 35 pitch contour.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing it with Tone 4 (nàn - disaster/trouble), dropping the pitch instead of rising.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Make a sweeping upward hand gesture starting from mid-chest and rising up toward your right ear, mimicking an upward questioning slope.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 18 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (又 modified) and the right side (隹) must share the horizontal space harmoniously, keeping the overall silhouette compact despite the high stroke count.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 難 is simplified to 难 by replacing the complex phonetic right component with 又 (yòu), dramatically reducing stroke count while retaining phonetic/visual cues.

4. Components

Radical 隹 · Short-tailed bird radical (bird)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 又 (hand / action indicator)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 隹 (original sound: zhuī / nan)

A bird (隹) held or caught by hand (又) represents a struggle or a difficult situation.

  • 又 right hand
  • 隹 bird
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally a compound ideogram depicting a bird that is difficult to catch by hand, evolving into a general concept of hardship and difficulty.

Semantic Evolution: From 'hard to catch a bird' to any arduous task, obstacle, or problem.

  • The traditional character 難 contains 18 strokes and is often cited by learners as one of the hardest everyday characters to write.
  • In classical Chinese, it could also mean to find fault with or question someone.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ナン / Kun: むずか.しい
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
난
Sound Shift Bridge: No direct English cognate, but shares common East Asian Buddhist and scholarly roots via Sino-Xenic vocabulary.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine trying to catch a wild bird (隹) with just your bare hand (又). It is extremely **difficult** (nán)!

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
滩
tānbeach, shoalWater radical 氵 added to 难 to mean a difficult, rocky water bank or beach.
摊
tānto spread out, stallHand radical 扌 added to 难 indicating spreading things out with hands.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
汉(hàn)
汉 uses the water radical (氵) on the left (as in 汉字), whereas 难 uses 又 on the left.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
這個問題太[___]了，我不會做。
Clue: nán
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone with Tone 4 (nàn), or forgetting the complex structure of the traditional form 難 when reading classical texts.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 难 mean and how is it pronounced with tones?
Production: How do you write the simplified character for 'difficult' (nán)?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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