Difference between revisions of "Expressing "difficult" with "nan""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
难 (nán) is an adjective that means "difficult." Whenever something is "hard to do" (as in difficult) or "bad to do" (as in bad experience), the word 难 (nán) can be used.
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难 (nán) is an adjective that means "difficult." When something is "hard to do" (as in difficult), the word 难 (nán) can be used before the verb.
  
== 难 with General Verbs ==
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== 难 (nán) with General Verbs ==
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Just as 好 (hǎo) can be used to indicate that it's [[Using "hao" to mean "easy"|easy to do something]], 难 (nán) can be attached to verbs (with a few special exceptions), to indicate that something is ''hard to do''.
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
 
Just as 好 (hǎo) can be used to indicate that it's [[Using "hao" to mean "easy"|easy to do something]], 难 (nán) can be attached to verbs (with a few special exceptions), to indicate that something is ''hard to do''.
 
  
 
The structure is:
 
The structure is:
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 这 句 话 很 <em>难 懂</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Zhè jù huà hěn <em>nán dǒng</em>. </span> <span class="trans">This sentence is hard to understand. </span>
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* 这 句 话 很 <em>难 懂</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Zhè jù huà hěn <em>nán dǒng</em>.</span><span class="trans">This sentence is hard to understand.</span>
* 汉语 很 <em>难 学</em>。<span class="pinyin">Hànyǔ hěn <em>nán xué</em>. </span> <span class="trans">Mandarin is hard to learn. </span>
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* 汉语 很 <em>难 学</em>。<span class="pinyin">Hànyǔ hěn <em>nán xué</em>.</span><span class="trans">Mandarin is hard to learn.</span>
* 中国菜 很 <em>难 做</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhōngguócài hěn <em>nán zuò</em>. </span> <span class="trans">Chinese food is hard to make. </span>
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* 中国菜 很 <em>难 做</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhōngguó cài hěn <em>nán zuò</em>.</span><span class="trans">Chinese food is hard to make.</span>
* 这 个 东西 现在 很 <em>难 买</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè ge dōngxī xiànzài hěn <em>nán mǎi</em>.  </span> <span class="trans">This thing is really difficult to purchase now. </span>
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* 这 个 东西 现在 很 <em>难 买</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhège dōngxi xiànzài hěn <em>nán mǎi</em>.  </span><span class="trans">This thing is really difficult to purchase now.</span>
*这 个 汉字 很 <em> 难 写</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè ge hànzì hěn <em> nán xiě</em>. </span> <span class="trans">This character is very difficult to write. </span>
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*这 个 汉字 很 <em> 难 写</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhège Hànzì hěn <em> nán xiě</em>.</span><span class="trans">This character is very difficult to write.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== 难 with Sense Verbs ==
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== 难 (nán) with Sense Verbs ==
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难 (nán) can also be attached to "sense verbs" (e.g. look, taste, smell, etc.) to indicate that something offers a "bad sensory experience."
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
难 (nán) can also be attached to "sense verbs" (e.g. look, taste, smell, etc.) to indicate that something is ''bad to do''. The structure is:
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The structure is:
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 你 做 的 菜 很 <em>难吃</em>。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zuò de cài hěn <em>nánchī</em>. </span> <span class="trans">The dishes you cook taste bad. </span>
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* 你 做 的 菜 很 <em>难吃</em>。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zuò de cài hěn <em>nánchī</em>.</span><span class="trans">The dishes you cook taste bad.</span>
* 这里 的 咖啡 很 <em>难喝</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè lǐ de kāfēi hěn <em>nánhē</em>. </span> <span class="trans">The coffee here tastes bad. </span>
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* 这里 的 咖啡 很 <em>难喝</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè lǐ de kāfēi hěn <em>nánhē</em>.</span><span class="trans">The coffee here tastes bad.</span>
* 这 首 歌 很 <em>难听</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè shǒu gē hěn <em>nántīng</em>. </span> <span class="trans">This song is terrible (This song is hard to listen to). </span>
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* 这 首 歌 很 <em>难听</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè shǒu gē hěn <em>nántīng</em>.</span><span class="trans">This song is terrible (hard to listen to).</span>
* 这 种 花 很 <em>难闻</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè zhǒng huā hěn <em>nánwén</em>. </span> <span class="trans">This kind of flower smells bad. </span>
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* 这 种 花 很 <em>难闻</em>。<span class="pinyin">Zhè zhǒng huā hěn <em>nánwén</em>.</span><span class="trans">This kind of flower smells bad.</span>
* 这 件 衣服 很 <em>难看</em>吗?<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn <em>nánkàn</em> ma? </span> <span class="trans">Is this article of clothing ugly? </span>
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* 这 件 衣服 很 <em>难看</em>吗?<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn <em>nánkàn</em> ma? </span><span class="trans">Is this article of clothing ugly? </span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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'''Warning!''' If you're trying to say that a particular dish is "difficult to eat," don't use 难吃 (nánchī)! The word 难吃 (nánchī) ''only'' means "bad-tasting" and ''not'' "difficult to eat."
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (p. 232) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|232}}
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|难|A2|难 + Verb|<em>难</em> 做。<em>难</em> 买。|grammar point|ASG35T4H}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|难|A2|难 + Verb|<em>难</em> 做。<em>难</em> 买。|grammar point|ASG35T4H}}

Latest revision as of 07:59, 10 April 2019

难 (nán) is an adjective that means "difficult." When something is "hard to do" (as in difficult), the word 难 (nán) can be used before the verb.

难 (nán) with General Verbs

Just as 好 (hǎo) can be used to indicate that it's easy to do something, 难 (nán) can be attached to verbs (with a few special exceptions), to indicate that something is hard to do.

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + (很) 难 + Verb

Examples

  • 这 句 话 很 难 懂Zhè jù huà hěn nán dǒng.This sentence is hard to understand.
  • 汉语 很 难 学Hànyǔ hěn nán xué.Mandarin is hard to learn.
  • 中国菜 很 难 做Zhōngguó cài hěn nán zuò.Chinese food is hard to make.
  • 这 个 东西 现在 很 难 买Zhège dōngxi xiànzài hěn nán mǎi. This thing is really difficult to purchase now.
  • 这 个 汉字 很 难 写Zhège Hànzì hěn nán xiě.This character is very difficult to write.

难 (nán) with Sense Verbs

难 (nán) can also be attached to "sense verbs" (e.g. look, taste, smell, etc.) to indicate that something offers a "bad sensory experience."

Structure

The structure is:

Subj. + (很) 难 + [Sense Verb]

Examples

  • 你 做 的 菜 很 难吃Nǐ zuò de cài hěn nánchī.The dishes you cook taste bad.
  • 这里 的 咖啡 很 难喝Zhè lǐ de kāfēi hěn nánhē.The coffee here tastes bad.
  • 这 首 歌 很 难听Zhè shǒu gē hěn nántīng.This song is terrible (hard to listen to).
  • 这 种 花 很 难闻Zhè zhǒng huā hěn nánwén.This kind of flower smells bad.
  • 这 件 衣服 很 难看吗?Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn nánkàn ma? Is this article of clothing ugly?

Warning! If you're trying to say that a particular dish is "difficult to eat," don't use 难吃 (nánchī)! The word 难吃 (nánchī) only means "bad-tasting" and not "difficult to eat."

See also

Sources and further reading

Books