难听
HSK 3 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)
难听 (nántīng) · unpleasant to hear
难听 (nántīng) means “unpleasant to hear”. It is written with 2 characters: 难 (difficult) + 听 (to listen). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 难听 is built
The characters
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)
听 tīng · to listen
What 听 is made of
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 斤jīn — a catty (about 500 grams)
- 厂chǎng — cliff
- 下xià — down
Origin hint: Words 口 reaching an ear 斤 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
这个歌很难听。Zhège gē hěn nántīng.This song sounds terrible.
别说那么难听的话。Bié shuō nàme nántīng de huà.Don't say such unpleasant things.
Questions about 难听
What does 难听 mean?
难听 (nántīng) means “unpleasant to hear”.
How do you pronounce 难听?
难听 is pronounced nántīng.
Which HSK level is 难听?
难听 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Related words
- 难过nánguòsad
- 难看nánkànugly
- 难受nánshòuto feel unwell
- 难题nántídifficult problem
- 困难kùnnandifficulty
- 难道nándàocould it be that…?
- 难度nándùdifficulty
- 难免nánmiǎnhard to avoid
- 难怪nánguàino wonder
- 艰难jiānnándifficult
Learn 难听 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 7: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.