艰难

jiān nán

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Adjective Common

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Definitions

1. difficult
2. hard
3. challenging

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Word relationships

Antonyms

2 items

• 容易 róng yì 容易 róng yì easy; straightforward: easy; straightforward
• 简单 jiǎn dān 简单 jiǎn dān simple: simple

Synonyms

2 items

• 困难 kùn nan 困难 kùn nan difficult 通用表达: difficult
• 艰辛 jiān xīn 艰辛 jiān xīn hardships 强调艰苦: hardships

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Learners often confuse 艰难 with 困难. 艰难 emphasizes hardship and is less common in spoken Chinese; 困难 is the general term for 'difficult' and more neutral.

Formality

艰难 is formal and often used in written language or to describe arduous processes; in casual speech, 辛苦 or 不容易 are more natural.

Example Sentences

2 shown

他们度过了 艰难 的时期。

They went through a difficult period.

纵然前路 艰难 ，我也会坚持下去。

Even if the road ahead is difficult, I will persist.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 艰难

• 难 难 nán: difficult (to...)
• 难 难 nàn: disaster
• 艰 艰 jiān: difficult