Meaning
困难 describes something that is hard to accomplish or a challenging situation. As an adjective, it means 'difficult' or 'hard.' As a noun, it refers to difficulties, hardships, or obstacles that need to be overcome. It's widely used in everyday speech and formal contexts alike.
Usage
Native speakers use 困难 both as an adjective before nouns (困难的工作 'difficult work') and as a noun (遇到困难 'encounter difficulties'). It's common in discussions about challenges, problems, or tough situations. The term carries a neutral to serious tone and is appropriate in both casual and formal settings.
Examples
- 01这个问题很困难，我需要更多时间。, .This problem is very difficult; I need more time.
- 02虽然遇到了很多困难，但是我们最终成功了。, .Although we encountered many difficulties, we ultimately succeeded.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个困难
Common collocations
- 遇到困难to encounter difficulties
- 克服困难to overcome difficulties
- 经济困难financial difficulties
- 困难时期difficult period
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters independently relate to difficulty: 困 originally depicted a tree enclosed in a box (suggesting constraint), while 难 relates to hardship and challenging situations. Together they form a compound emphasizing the concept of difficulty.