Definition
难看 (nán kàn) has two main meanings: 'ugly' (of appearance) and 'awkward / embarrassing' (of a situation). For appearance, 丑 (chǒu) is a stronger, more direct word for 'ugly', while 难看 is softer and more common in everyday speech. For a situation, 尴尬 (gān gà) is more formal and often describes an embarrassing moment, whereas 难看 is more casual and can also mean 'face-losing'.
adjective
uglyunsightly (of appearance)embarrassingawkward (of a situation)
Easily confused
- 难堪nán kānsound-alikeembarrassed; awkward
Examples
- 难看。Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn nán kàn.This piece of clothing is very ugly.
- ，难看。Tā chídào zhème jiǔ, tài nán kàn le.He was late for so long, it's so embarrassing.
- 难看。Zhè zhī māo hěn nán kàn.This cat is very ugly.
Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.