Chinese–EnglishWith examples

困难

kùn nan · kun nan

Traditional 困難

HSK 3Old HSK 4

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. difficult
  2. challenging
  3. straitened circumstances
  4. difficult situation
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In a conversation

0:22 cartoon

A hard thing about work

  1. Dengdeng

    新(xīn)工作(gōngzuò)怎么样(zěnmeyàng)？有(yǒu)什么(shénme)困难(kùnnan)吗(ma)？

    How is your new job? Any difficulties?

  2. Liangliang

    最大(zuìdà)的(de)困难(kùnnan)是(shì)开会(kāihuì)。

    The biggest difficulty is the meeting.

  3. Dengdeng

    发言(fāyán)很(hěn)难(nán)吗(ma)？

    Is it hard to speak up?

  4. Liangliang

    不是(bùshì)。会(huì)八点(bādiǎn)开始(kāishǐ)，起床(qǐchuáng)很(hěn)困难(kùnnan)。

    No. Meetings start at eight, and getting up is difficult.

  5. Dengdeng

    这个(zhège)困难(kùnnan)我(wǒ)来(lái)帮(bāng)你(nǐ)。明天(míngtiān)早上(zǎoshang)我(wǒ)打电话(dǎdiànhuà)叫(jiào)你(nǐ)。

    I can help with this difficulty. I will call you tomorrow morning.

  6. Liangliang

    好办法(hǎobànfǎ)！不过(bùguò)我(wǒ)睡着(shuìzháo)了(le)，听不见(tīngbujiàn)电话(diànhuà)。

    Good idea! But I'll be asleep and can't hear the phone.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

我(wǒ)们(men)在(zài)探(tàn)险(xiǎn)的(de)时(shí)候(hou)遇(yù)到(dào)了(le)很(hěn)多(duō)困(kùn)难(nan)。

We encountered a lot of difficulties on the expedition.

Tatoeba: Chinese by jacintoo · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

他(tā)家(jiā)的(de)经(jīng)济(jì)状(zhuàng)况(kuàng)一(yì)直(zhí)很(hěn)困(kùn)难(nan)。

His family's financial situation has always been difficult.

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How to write

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
困
kùn

to trap; to surround

难
nán

difficult (to...); problem

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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