難
difficult · impossible · trouble · accident · defect
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of leather and bird. Leather bird being difficult.
Symbolism
Difficulty, difficult, problem. Represents difficulty.
Component Breakdown
廿 + mouth + 夫 + 隹
Words & Expressions
Words written with 難
Four-Character Compounds
難攻不落
なんこうふらく
impregnable
無理難題
むりなんだい
unreasonable demand
艱難辛苦
かんなんしんく
trial and tribulation; hardships; privations
七難八苦
しちなんはっく
the Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains; a series of disasters
多事多難
たじたなん
various difficulties
難行苦行
なんぎょうくぎょう
penance; hardship
前途多難
ぜんとたなん
having many difficulties in store; grim prospects
非難轟々
ひなんごうごう
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people)
辛苦艱難
しんくかんなん
trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles
進退両難
しんたいりょうなん
being driven to the wall; finding oneself between the devil and the deep blue sea; finding oneself between a rock and a hard place
Poetry
難波潟 みじかき葦の ふしの間も あはでこの世を 過ぐしてよとや
Short as the space between joints of reeds in Naniwa marsh — must I pass this whole life without even that much of you?
わびぬれば 今はた同じ 難波なる みをつくしても あはむとぞ思ふ
In this misery it makes no difference now. Like the channel markers at Naniwa, I will spend myself utterly to see you.
難波江の 葦のかりねの ひとよゆゑ みをつくしてや 恋ひわたるべき
For one night, brief as the joint of a cut reed in Naniwa Bay, must I spend myself entirely in loving you?
Anime & Manga
斉木楠雄のΨ難
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
A well-known work with 難 in its Japanese title.
ヲタクに恋は難しい
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
A well-known work with 難 in its Japanese title.
Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 難 mean in Japanese?
難 means difficult, impossible, trouble, accident, defect.
How do you read 難?
On'yomi: ナン (NAN). Kun'yomi: かた.い、-がた.い、むずか.しい、むづか.しい、むつか.しい、-にく.い (katai, gatai, muzukashii, muzukashii, mutsukashii, nikui).
How many strokes does 難 have?
難 has 18 strokes. Its radical is 隹 (short-tailed bird).
Is 難 a good kanji for a tattoo?
難 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means difficult, impossible, trouble, accident, defect. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.