Definition
艰 is a bound form (b.f.) — it cannot be used alone as a word. It always appears as the first syllable in two-syllable compound words that mean 'difficult, hard, arduous', such as 艰难, 艰苦, 艰险. Understanding it as a bound morpheme helps you recognize and guess the meaning of these compounds.
b.f.
difficultarduous (bound form)
Examples
- ，。Shēnghuó suīrán hěn jiān nán, dàn wǒmen bùnéng fàngqì.Although life is hard, we cannot give up.
- 。Tāmen jīnglì le jiān kǔ de xùnliàn cái chénggōng.They succeeded only after going through arduous training.
- ，。Qiánfāng dàolù jiān xiǎn, dàjiā yào xiǎoxīn.The road ahead is dangerous and difficult — everyone must be careful.
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