困难
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 4
困难 (kùnnan) · difficulty
困难 (kùnnan) means “difficulty; difficult”. It is written with 2 characters: 困 (sleepy) + 难 (difficult). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 困难 is built
The characters
困 kùn · sleepy
What 困 is made of
- 囗wéi — enclosure
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 木mù — tree
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 八bā — eight
- 十 — ten
Origin hint: A fence 囗 built around a tree 木 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
难 nán · difficult
What 难 is made of
- 又yòu — and
- 隹zhuī — short-tailed bird
- 亻rén — person
Origin hint: A hand 又 trying to grasp at a bird 隹 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
学汉字有点儿困难。Xué Hànzì yǒudiǎnr kùnnan.Learning Chinese characters is a bit difficult.
你有什么困难吗？Nǐ yǒu shénme kùnnan ma?Do you have any difficulties?
Questions about 困难
What does 困难 mean?
困难 (kùnnan) means “difficulty; difficult”.
How do you pronounce 困难?
困难 is pronounced kùnnan.
Which HSK level is 困难?
困难 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 贫困pínkùnpoor
- 困kùnsleepy
- 难过nánguòsad
- 难看nánkànugly
- 难受nánshòuto feel unwell
- 难题nántídifficult problem
- 难听nántīngunpleasant to hear
- 难道nándàocould it be that…?
- 难度nándùdifficulty
- 难免nánmiǎnhard to avoid
Learn 困难 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 35: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.