gaan1艱艰
Jyutpinggaan1
Yalegāan
Definition
Difficult, hard, or full of obstacles.
writtendescriptions
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used as a morpheme within compound words rather than as a standalone adjective in spoken Cantonese. It carries a formal or literary tone, often appearing in written news or formal speech to describe situations that are physically or mentally demanding. When speaking casually, locals prefer using phrases like 好難或者好辛苦.
Examples
This path is very arduous, you need to be mentally prepared.
Facing such an arduous task, he still did not give up.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often try to use this as a standalone adjective like 難, but it sounds unnatural and overly dramatic in daily conversation. Always pair it with another character to form a compound like 艱難 or 艱苦.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
