Advertisements

Making Chinese characters easy to write.

Sister Sites

Five Elements Test

About•Privacy Policy•Terms of Service

DICTIONARY

Chinese Dictionary
Pinyin Index
Radical Index
Character Components
HSK Dictionary
Character Compare

DICTIONARY

Chinese Dictionary
Pinyin Index
Radical Index
Character Components
HSK Dictionary
Character Compare

TOOLS

Worksheet Generator
Worksheet Library
Pinyin Converter
Chinese Name Generator
Zodiac Calculator
HSK Level Checker
Flashcards
Dictation Practice

TOOLS

Worksheet Generator
Worksheet Library
Pinyin Converter
Chinese Name Generator
Zodiac Calculator
HSK Level Checker
Flashcards
Dictation Practice

LEARN

Learning Center
Blog
Chinese Stroke Rules
Chinese Idioms
Chinese Poetry
Pro Membership ✨

LEARN

Learning Center
Blog
Chinese Stroke Rules
Chinese Idioms
Chinese Poetry
Pro Membership ✨

© 2026 Hanzi Stroke. All rights reserved.

Made with♥for Chinese learners.

难 (nán): Stroke Order, Meaning & How to Write | HSK 3

By CharacterBrowse all characters A-Z

HSK ListsAll HSK versions overview

HSK 2.0

Learn & Practice

Worksheet GeneratorCreate practice sheets for free

Learning Essentials

Home
Dictionary
难

难 (nán): Hard — Stroke Order & Writing Guide

HSK 2.0Level 3

HSK 3.0

By PinyinSearch by pronunciation

By RadicalFind by radical component

By ComponentsLearn meaning and sound clues

HSK 3.0

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Level 7-9

Worksheet LibraryHSK, Top 100 & themed PDFs

Dictation PracticeListen and write HSK characters

Flashcard ReviewSRS review for HSK and custom decks

HSK Level CheckerCheck HSK level of any text

Pinyin ConverterConvert Chinese to Pinyin

My Learning

Learning DashboardTrack your writing progress

My VocabularyReview saved words and lists

Fun & Culture

Name GeneratorCreate your Chinese name

8 Basic Strokes GuideHot

Foundation of all characters

Pinyin Tones Guide

4 tones with audio examples

Chinese Handwriting Guide

Daily practice routine

HSK 3.0 Complete GuideNew

New exam format explained

HSK 1 Common Mistakes

Avoid beginner errors

Topics & Culture

Chinese Numbers 1-1000

Count like a native

Time & Dates Guide

Tell time in Chinese

Family Members Guide

30+ family terms

2026 Fire Horse YearHot

Zodiac meaning & luck

Top 100 Characters

Most frequent, free PDF

View All Blog Posts

HSK 3.0:Recognition 3Writing 3

HSK 2.0Level 3

HSK 3.0Vocab 3 Recognition 3 Writing 3

1.

Animated Stroke Order 难

Watch the stroke order, then trace it yourself.

How to write 难 — animated stroke order

146 learners practiced this

2.

Readings & Meanings

难has 2 distinct senses for the same pronunciation

nán

hard; difficult

hard; difficult

adj./v.HSK 3.0 · L3

3.

Stroke Order Diagrams 难

难 stroke order diagram

4.

Character Breakdown

Left-Right

难

隹short-tailed bird

难=

Advertisements

5.

Free Printable Handwriting Practice with Stroke Order: 难

Download and print worksheets to practice writing 难

难 handwriting practice sheet - portrait

FREE

难 handwriting practice sheet - portrait orientation

Download Portrait PDF

难 handwriting practice sheet - landscape orientation

Download Landscape PDF

6.

How to Use 难

Common patterns, words, and short phrases that show how 难 works in context.

Judging and Speculating Tone

In words like 难道, 难怪, and 难免, 难 (nán) adds a tone of judgment or speculation.

难道 • nán dào • could it be...? • HSK 4

HSK 4

7.

HSK Vocabulary: 难

HSK words that contain this character.

难听 • nán tīng • unpleasant to hear

HSK 3.0 · L3

nán难

tīng

8.

Example Sentences

Real-world example sentences demonstrating how 难 is used in context

xué学

xí习

xīn新

yǔ语

yán言

huì会

Information

Pinyinnán

Meaninghard

Strokes10

Radical隹

Traditional難

StructureLeft-Right

Frequency#638

Zhuyinㄋㄢˊ

UnicodeU+96BE

CangjieYRHHI

Advertisements

Zodiac CalculatorFind your zodiac animal

又hand

+隹short-tailed bird

A bird (隹) is captured or hindered, making things difficult or challenging.

nán难

dào道

could it be...?

难怪 • nán guài • no wonder • HSK 5

HSK 5

nán难

guài怪

no wonder

难免 • nán miǎn • hard to avoid • HSK 5

HSK 5

nán难

miǎn免

hard to avoid

难以 • nán yǐ • hard to (predict, imagine etc) • HSK 3.0 · L5

HSK 3.0 · L5

nán难

yǐ以

hard to (predict, imagine etc)

Emotions and Difficult Situations

In words like 难过, 为难, and 难堪, 难 (nán) describes emotional or situational hardship.

难过 • nán guò • have a hard time • HSK 3

HSK 3

nán难

guò过

have a hard time

为难 • wéi nán • feel embarrassed/awkward • HSK 6

HSK 6

wéi为

nán难

feel embarrassed/awkward

难堪 • nán kān • intolerable; unbearable • HSK 6

HSK 6

nán难

kān堪

intolerable; unbearable

艰难 • jiān nán • difficult; hard; arduous • HSK 6

HSK 6

jiān艰

nán难

difficult; hard; arduous

听

unpleasant to hear

难看 • nán kàn • ugly

HSK 3.0 · L3

nán难

kàn看

ugly

难题 • nán tí • difficult problem

HSK 3.0 · L3

nán难

tí题

difficult problem

困难 • kùn nan • difficulty

HSK 4

kùn困

nan难

difficulty

难受 • nán shòu • feel unwell; difficult to bear

HSK 4

nán难

shòu受

feel unwell; difficult to bear

难忘 • nán wàng • unforgettable

HSK 3.0 · L4

nán难

wàng忘

unforgettable

yù

遇

dào到

hěn很

duō多

kùn困

nán难

。

Learning a new language will encounter many difficulties.

zhè这

ge个

shù数

xué学

nán难

tí题

hěn很

nán难

jiě解

jué决

。

This math problem is very difficult to solve.

zhè这

ge个

shù数

xué学

tí题

hěn很

nán难

。

This math problem is very difficult.

zhè这

cì次

lǚ旅

xíng行

shì是

yī一

cì次

nán难

wàng忘

de的

jīng经

lì历

。

This trip is an unforgettable experience.

Related Characters

Explore characters by relationship

HSK Level 3

Characters from the same exam level.

腿tuǐleg
碗wǎna bowl of
万wànten thousand
位wèiposition
为wèifor (someone; something); to do; to be
西xīwest

View all HSK 3 characters →

Same Sound

Characters pronounced "nan".

南nánsouth
男nánmale

View all "nan" characters →

Same Radical

Characters with radical "隹".

雍yōngharmony, union; harmonious
隹zhuīshort-tailed bird
雏chúchick, fledging; infant, toddler
雌cífemale (of a species)
雕diāoto carve, engrave, or a bird of prey (eagle, vulture)
雅yǎelegant, refined, proper

View all "隹" radical characters →