Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 艰难
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
difficult (to...); problem; difficulty; difficult; not good
难过nánguòto feel sad; to feel unwell; (of life) to be difficult
难看nánkànugly; unsightly
难题nántídifficult problem
难听nántīngunpleasant to hear; coarse; vulgar; offensive; shameful
困难kùnnandifficult; challenging; straitened circumstances; difficult situation