Chinese–EnglishWith examples

棘手

jí shǒu · ji shou

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 7–9

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. thorny (problem)
  2. intractable
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In a conversation

0:19 cartoon

The dancing neighbour

  1. Dengdeng

    楼上(lóushàng)的(de)邻居(línjū)晚上(wǎnshang)总是(zǒngshì)跳舞(tiàowǔ)，太(tài)吵(chǎo)了(le)。

    The neighbour upstairs dances every night. It's too noisy.

  2. Liangliang

    你(nǐ)去(qù)跟(gēn)他(tā)说(shuō)一下(yīxià)吧(ba)。

    Go and tell him, then.

  3. Dengdeng

    这事(zhèshì)很(hěn)棘手(jíshǒu)，他(tā)是(shì)我们(wǒmen)的(de)房东(fángdōng)。

    That's tricky. He's our landlord.

  4. Liangliang

    真的(zhēnde)有点(yǒudiǎn)棘手(jíshǒu)。我们(wǒmen)送(sòng)他(tā)一盒(yīhé)饼干(bǐnggān)吧(ba)？

    It is a bit tricky. Shall we give him a box of cookies?

  5. Dengdeng

    好主意(hǎozhǔyi)！我(wǒ)再(zài)写(xiě)一张(yīzhāng)纸条(zhǐtiáo)：我们(wǒmen)也(yě)想(xiǎng)学(xué)跳舞(tiàowǔ)。

    Good idea! I'll write a note too: we want to learn to dance.

Tap a word for its meaning in this line. The characters’ voices are computer-generated.

In a sentence

2 examples
01

对(duì)于(yú)这(zhè)个(gè)棘(jí)手(shǒu)的(de)问(wèn)题(tí)，无(wú)论(lùn)我(wǒ)尝(cháng)试(shì)多(duō)少(shǎo)次(cì)，结(jié)果(guǒ)都(dōu)会(huì)以(yǐ)失(shī)败(bài)告(gào)终(zhōng)。

Regardless how many times I try to solve this nasty problem, I always end up failing.

Tatoeba: Chinese by fenfang557 · English by FeuDRenais2 · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

这(zhè)个(gè)项(xiàng)目(mù)很(hěn)棘(jí)手(shǒu)，我(wǒ)们(men)需(xū)要(yào)更(gèng)多(duō)时(shí)间(jiān)讨(tǎo)论(lùn)。

This project is thorny; we need more time to discuss it.

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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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