困难 (kùn nan) — difficult in Mandarin
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#880 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
困难 is pronounced kùn nan. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhè ge wèn tí yǒu diǎn kùn nan.
This problem is a bit difficult.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 困难 mean?+
困难 (kùn nan) means "difficult" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 困难?+
困难 is pronounced kùn nan. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 困难 in Mandarin?+
困难 is the #880 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 困难 fits
Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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