<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>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.</p> <h2 id="难-nán-with-general-verbs">难 (nán) with General Verbs</h2> <p>Just as 好 (hǎo) can be used to indicate that it's <a href= "Using_"hao"_to_mean_"easy"" title= "wikilink">easy to do something</a>, 难 (nán) can be attached to verbs (with a few special exceptions), to indicate that something is <em>hard to do</em>.</p> <h3 id="structure">Structure</h3> <p>The structure is:</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + (很) 难 + Verb</p> </div> <h3 id="examples">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="难-nán-with-sense-verbs">难 (nán) with Sense Verbs</h2> <p>难 (nán) can also be attached to "sense verbs" (e.g. look, taste, smell, etc.) to indicate that something offers a "bad sensory experience."</p> <h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3> <p>The structure is:</p> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Subj. + (很) 难 + [Sense Verb]</p> </div> <h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> <li>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></li> </ul> </div> <p><strong>Warning!</strong> 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) <em>only</em> means "bad-tasting" and <em>not</em> "difficult to eat."</p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href="Using_"hao"_to_mean_"easy"" title= "wikilink">Using "hao" to mean "easy"</a></li> <li><a href= "Expressing_Difficulty_with_"hao_(bu)_rongyi"" title= "wikilink">Expressing Difficulty with "hao (bu) rongyi"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)" title= "wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)</a> (p. 232) <a href= "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</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title= "wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>