nán
difficult (to...)
problem
difficulty
difficult
not good
nàn
disaster
distress
to scold
nán yǐ
hard to (predict, imagine etc)
kùn nan
difficult
challenging
straitened circumstances
difficult situation
nán dào
don't tell me ...
could it be that...?
kōng nàn
air crash
aviation accident or incident
bì nàn
refuge
to take refuge
to seek asylum (political etc)
pái yōu jiě nàn
to resolve a difficult situation and leave worries behind (idiom)
diāo nàn
to be hard on sb
to deliberately make things difficult
nán miǎn
hard to avoid
difficult to escape from
will inevitably
nán áo
hard to bear
unendurable (pain, suffering)
shòu nàn
to suffer a calamity
to suffer (e.g. under torture)
distress
nán guò
to feel sad
to feel unwell
(of life) to be difficult
nán bǎo
hard to say
can't guarantee
difficult to protect
difficult to preserve
mó nàn
a torment
a trial
tribulation
a cross (to bear)
well-tried
yí nán
hard to understand
difficult to deal with
knotty
complicated
nán chǎn
difficult birth
(fig.) difficult to achieve
nán wei
to bother
to press sb, usu. to do sth
it's a tough job
sorry to bother you (polite, used to thank sb for a favor)
nán tīng
unpleasant to hear
coarse
vulgar
offensive
shameful
nán dé
seldom
rare
hard to come by
nán chu
trouble
difficulty
problem
jiān nán
difficult
hard
challenging
fā nàn
to rise in revolt
to raise difficult questions
nán guài
(it's) no wonder (that...)
(it's) not surprising (that)
wéi nán
to feel embarrassed or awkward
to make things difficult (for someone)
to find things difficult (to do or manage)
nán shòu
to feel unwell
to suffer pain
to be difficult to bear
nán yán zhī yǐn
a hidden trouble hard to mention (idiom)
sth too embarrassing to mention
an embarrassing illness
sǐ nán
die in accident or political incident
qiān zǎi nán féng
extremely rare (idiom)
once in a blue moon
lí nàn
fatality
to die in an accident
to be killed
nán yǐ zhì xìn
hard to believe
incredible
jìn tuì liǎng nán
no room to advance or to retreat (idiom); without any way out of a dilemma
trapped
in an impossible situation
wàn nán
countless difficulties
extremely difficult
against all odds
yí nán wèn tí
knotty problem
intractable difficulty
yí nán jiě dá
trouble shooting
solution to difficulties
nán yǐ shí xiàn
hard to accomplish
difficult to achieve
nán chán
(usu. of people) difficult
demanding
troublesome
unreasonable
hard to deal with
nán yǐ rěn shòu
hard to endure
unbearable
nán bù chéng
Is it possible that ... ?
nán yǐ qǐ chǐ
to be too embarrassed to mention sth (idiom)
to find it hard to speak about sth
nán yǐ lǐ jiě
hard to understand
incomprehensible
nán yì
difficulty
degree of difficulty or ease
nán jiě
hard to solve
hard to dispel
hard to understand
hard to undo
gāo nán
extremely difficult
hard and dangerous
challenging
nán zǒu
hard to get to
difficult to travel (i.e. the road is bad)
sǐ nán zhě
victim
casualty
martyr for one's country
zhēn jiǎ nán biàn
hard to distinguish real from imitation
táo nàn
to run away from trouble
to flee from calamity
to be a refugee
luò nàn
to meet with misfortune
to fall into dire straits
jiān nán xiǎn zǔ
untold dangers and difficulties (idiom)
nán yǐ zhuō mō
elusive
hard to pin down
enigmatic
dà nàn bù sǐ
to just escape from calamity
qí hǔ nán xià
if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom); fig. impossible to stop halfway
fàn nán
to feel embarrassed
to feel akward
jí nàn
misfortune
crisis
grave danger
critical situation
disaster
emergency
to be zealous in helping others out of a predicament
zhī nán ér tuì
to sound out the difficulties and retreat to avoid defeat (idiom); fig. to back out of an awkward situation
to get out on finding out what it's really like
duō zāi duō nàn
to be plagued with misfortunes
precarious
yī yán nán jìn
hard to explain in a few words (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly
shòu nàn zhě
sufferer
a victim of a calamity
a person in distress
nán xiōng nán dì
lit. hard to differentiate between elder and younger brother (idiom)
fig. one is just as bad as the other
nàn xiōng nàn dì
brothers in hardship (idiom)
fellow sufferers
in the same boat
xùn nàn
to sacrifice oneself in a just cause
a victim of a disaster
qiān jīn nán mǎi
can't be bought for one thousand in gold (idiom)
qǐn shí nán ān
lit. cannot rest or eat in peace (idiom)
fig. extremely worried and troubled
nán shě nán fēn
loath to part (idiom); emotionally close and unwilling to separate
huàn nàn jiàn zhēn qíng
a friend in need is a friend indeed (idiom)
běn xìng nán yí
It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are.
Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)
jī zhòng nán fǎn
ingrained habits are hard to overcome (idiom); bad old practices die hard
miàn lín kùn nán
to be faced with problems
fù shuǐ nán shōu
spilt water is difficult to retrieve (idiom)
it's no use crying over spilt milk
what's done is done and can't be reversed
the damage is done
once divorced, there's no reuniting
gū zhǎng nán míng
It's hard to clap with only one hand.
It takes two to tango
It's difficult to achieve anything without support.
Ē nán
Prince Ananda, cousin of the Buddha and his closest disciple
qiǎo fù nán wéi wú mǐ zhī chuī
The cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice (idiom); You won't get anywhere without equipment.
chū nán tí
to raise a tough question
jiù nán
to rescue
rescue (operation, workers)
duō nàn xīng bāng
much hardships may awaken a nation (idiom); calamity that prompts renewal
qiǎng rén suǒ nán
to force someone to do something
zì shēn nán bǎo
powerless to defend oneself (idiom); helpless
nán jīng
Canon of difficult questions, medical text, c. first century AD
abbr. for 黃帝八十一難經|黄帝八十一难经[Huáng dì bā shí yī nán jīng]
nán jiě nán fēn
hard to untie, hard to separate (idiom); inextricably involved
locked in battle
nán yǐ yìng fù
hard to deal with
hard to handle
yì shǒu nán gōng
easily guarded, hard to attack
bǎi bān diāo nán
to put up innumerable obstacles
to create all kinds of difficulties (idiom)
méng nàn
to meet with disaster
killed
in the clutches of the enemy
to fall foul of
in danger
jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng
Every family goes through its problems. (idiom)
nán fēn nán shě
loath to part (idiom); emotionally close and unwilling to separate
zuò lì nán ān
unable to sit or stand still (out of nervousness etc) (idiom)
qìng zhú nán shū
so many that the bamboo slats have been exhausted
innumerable crimes (idiom)
see also 罄筆難書|罄笔难书[qing4 bi3 nan2 shu1]
jiāng shān yì gǎi , běn xìng nán yí
The rivers and mountains may change, but not one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are.
Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)
jiāng shān yì gǎi běn xìng nán yí
rivers and mountains are easy to change, man's character much harder
chā chì nán fēi
lit. even given wings, you couldn't fly (idiom); fig. impossible to escape
nán fēn nán jiě
to become caught up in an irresolvable situation (idiom)
miàn yǒu nán sè
to show signs of reluctance or embarrassment
yù hè nán tián
bottomless pit of desire (idiom); insatiable greed
carnal cravings are never satisfied and are a main obstruction on the path to enlightenment
cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn
An ounce of gold can't buy you an interval of time (idiom); Money can't buy you time.
Time is precious.
rén xīn nán cè
hard to fathom a person's mind (idiom)
nán táo fǎ wǎng
It is hard to escape the dragnet of the law
the long arm of the law
nán yǐ mǒ qù
hard to erase
ineradicable
huàn nàn zhī jiāo
a friend in times of tribulations (idiom); a friend in need is a friend indeed
mò chǐ nán wàng
hard to forget even after one's teeth fall out (idiom); to remember a benefactor as long as one lives
undying gratitude
biàn nàn
retort with challenging questions
debate
yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn , cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn
An interval of time is worth an ounce of gold, money can't buy you time (common saying); Time is precious and must be treasured.
jìng nán zhī yì
war of 1402 between successors of the first Ming Emperor
yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī
lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
shē rù jiǎn nán
it is hard to become frugal after becoming accustomed to luxury (idiom)
liú nàn
to make sth difficult
to create obstacles
míng qiāng yì duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng
lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies
kǔ nàn shēn zhòng
deep grief
extensive sorrow
yǒu fú tóng xiǎng , yǒu nàn tóng dāng
To enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together (idiom); for better or for worse
qiān jūn yì dé , yī jiàng nán qiú
Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom)
jī xí nán gǎi
old habits are hard to change (idiom); It is hard to throw off ingrained habits.
nán shě nán lí
loath to part (idiom); emotionally close and unwilling to separate
jié shù nán táo
Destiny is inexorable, there is no fleeing it (idiom). Your doom is at hand.
cóng nán cóng yán
demanding and strict (idiom)
exacting
biàn nàn
to debate
to retort
to refute
tiān xià wú nán shì , zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén
lit. nothing is difficult on this earth, if your mind is set (idiom)
pái nàn jiě fēn
to remove perils and solve disputes (idiom); to reconcile differences
nán yú dēng tiān
harder than climbing to heaven (idiom)
nán tán
hard to play (of music for stringed instrument)
Ē nán tuó
Prince Ananda, cousin of the Buddha and his closest disciple
ài nán
inconvenient
difficult for some reason
to find sth embarrassing
huǐ jiā shū nàn
to sacrifice one's wealth to save the state (idiom)
fǎ wǎng nán táo
it is hard to escape the net of justice (idiom)
zuǒ yòu liǎng nán
dilemma
quandary
Scylla and Charybdis
between the devil and the deep blue sea (idiom)
ní pú sà guò jiāng , zì shēn nán bǎo
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety
unable to save oneself, let alone others
cháng yè nán míng
lit. many nights under a harsh moon
long years of oppression (idiom)
duǒ nàn
to take refuge
to seek refuge from disaster
nán yú jiē jìn
(of people) difficult to approach
inaccessible
luò luò nán hé
a loner
someone who does not easily get along with others
sǐ jié nán jiě
enigmatic knot hard to untie (idiom); thorny problem
intractable difficulty
jí rén zhī nàn
anxious to help others resolve difficulties (idiom)
hǎo mèng nán chéng
a beautiful dream is hard to realize (idiom)
Huáng dì bā shí yī nán jīng
Yellow Emperor's canon of 81 difficult questions, medical text, c. first century AD
jiāng shān yì gǎi bǐng xìng nán yí
rivers and mountains are easy to change, man's character much harder
kě gòng huàn nàn
to go through thick and thin together (idiom)
Lián hé guó Nán mín Shì wù Gāo jí Zhuān yuán Bàn shì chù
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
jìn tuì wéi nán
no room to advance or to retreat (idiom); without any way out of a dilemma
trapped
in an impossible situation
pō shuǐ nán shōu
water once spilt cannot be retrieved (idiom); irreversible change
gēng pú nán shǔ
too many to count
very many
innumerable
míng qiāng hǎo duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng
lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies
hèn hǎi nán tián
sea of hatred is hard to fill (idiom); irreconcilable division
ài nán cōng mìng
difficult to obey orders (idiom); much to my embarrassment, I am unable to comply
shàn cái nán shě
to cherish wealth and find it hard to give up (idiom); refusing to contribute to charity
skinflint
miserly
táo zāi bì nàn
to seek refuge from calamities
qiān mǎ dào hé yì , qiáng mǎ yǐn shuǐ nán
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. (idiom)
qìng bǐ nán shū
too numerous to be cited (of atrocities or misdeeds) (idiom)
see also 罄竹難書|罄竹难书[qing4 zhu2 nan2 shu1]
huàn nàn zhī jiāo cái shì zhēn zhèng de péng you
a friend in need is a friend indeed (English proverb)
cf idiom 患難之交|患难之交, a friend in need
jiàn nán ér shàng
to take the bull by the horns (idiom)
xiū kǒu nán kāi
to be too embarrassed for words (idiom)
jiè yú liǎng nán
to be on the horns of a dilemma (idiom)
shē yì jiǎn nán
easy to become accustomed to luxury, hard to become accustomed to frugality (idiom)
xiǎo dòng bù dǔ , dà dòng nán bǔ
If you don't plug the small hole, the big hole will be hard to repair (俗语 common saying). A stitch in time saves nine.
bù jīng yī fān fēng shuāng kǔ , nán dé là méi tǔ qīng xiāng
Without once passing through the winter's cold and wind, where would the sweet spring fragrance come from?
yì jué kùn nan
to find sth increasingly difficult
huàn nàn jiàn qì
to leave somebody holding the baby
to shrug responsibility (idiom)
shù shǐ nán zhé
lit. bundled arrows are difficult to break
there is strength in unity (idiom)
kuì nán jiàn rén
to be ashamed to be seen in public (idiom)
ài nán cóng mìng
difficult to obey orders (idiom); much to my embarrassment, I am unable to comply
yīng xióng nán guò měi rén guān
even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman (idiom)
wàn shì qǐ tóu nán
the first step is the hardest (idiom)
zhī yì xíng nán
easy to grasp but difficult to put into practice (idiom)
easier said than done
yí nán zá zhèng
dubious or hard-to-treat cases (medicine)
hard cases
qīng guān nán duàn jiā wù shì
even an honest and upright official will have difficulty resolving a family dispute (proverb)
ní pú sà guò jiāng , zì shēn nán bǎo
like a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, can't guarantee his own safety
unable to save oneself, let alone others
jiāng shān yì gǎi , běn xìng nán yí
it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one's character (idiom)
you can't change who you are
Can the leopard change his spots?
bǐ dēng tiān hái nán
lit. even harder than reaching the sky (idiom)
fig. extremely difficult
far from an easy task
qǐng shén róng yì sòng shén nán
it's easier to invite the devil in than to send him away
Yán wáng hǎo jiàn , xiǎo guǐ nán dāng
lit. standing in front of the King of Hell is easy, but smaller devils are difficult to deal with (idiom)
guān guān nán guò , guān guān guò
to meet with great difficulties but pull through
mó nàn
variant of 磨難|磨难[mo2 nan4]
nán cí qí jiù
cannot escape censure (idiom)
has to bear the blame
nán néng kě guì
rare and precious
valuable
remarkable
Nàn jīng
Classic on Medical Problems, c. 1st century AD
abbr. for 黃帝八十一難經|黄帝八十一难经[Huang2 di4 Ba1 shi2 yi1 Nan4 jing1]
nán dǎo
to baffle
to confound
to stump
nán yǐ zī yǐ
cannot control oneself (idiom)
to be beside oneself
nán yǐ hàn dòng
unsusceptible to change
deeply entrenched
nán bù dǎo
not to pose a problem for sb
cannot stump sb
yǐn mì nán yán
too embarrassing to mention
Huáng dì Bā shí yī Nàn jīng
Yellow Emperor's Classic of Eighty-one Difficulties, medical text, c. 1st century AD
sǐ nàn zhě
victim of an accident
casualty
martyr for one's country
dà nàn bù sǐ , bì yǒu hòu fú
one is bound for good fortune after surviving a great disaster (proverb)
zài suǒ nán miǎn
to be unavoidable (idiom)
jūn zǐ yī yán , sì mǎ nán zhuī
a nobleman's word is his bond (proverb)
qiān jūn yì dé , yī jiàng nán qiú
Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom)
miǎn wéi qí nán
to tackle a difficult job (idiom)
to do sth reluctantly
yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī
lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
tiān lǐ nán róng
Heaven cannot tolerate this (idiom)
intolerable behavior
hǎo jiè hǎo huán , zài jiè bù nán
see 有借有還,再借不難|有借有还,再借不难 [you3 jie4 you3 huan2 , zai4 jie4 bu4 nan2]
cùn bù nán yí
see 寸步難行|寸步难行[cun4 bu4 nan2 xing2]
sǐ nàn
to die in an accident
to die for a just cause
yǒu fú tóng xiǎng , yǒu nàn tóng dāng
To enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together (idiom); for better or for worse
yǒu jiè yǒu huán , zài jiè bù nán
return what you borrowed on time, you may borrow again next time (idiom)
míng qiāng yì duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng
lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies
míng qiāng hǎo duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng
lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies
zhuó fà nán shǔ
lit. as difficult to count as hair pulled from sb's head (idiom)
fig. innumerable (crimes)
xiǎo dòng bù dǔ , dà dòng nán bǔ
If you don't plug the small hole, the big hole will be hard to repair (idiom); A stitch in time saves nine.
cùn bù nán xíng
unable to move a single step (idiom)
to be in an (extremely) difficult situation
yī mù nán zhī
lit. a single post cannot prop up a falling house (idiom)
fig. one is helpless alone