kwan3 naan4 cung4 cung4困難重重困难重重
Jyutpingkwan3 naan4 cung4 cung4
Yalekwan nàahn chùhng chùhng
Definition
Plagued with numerous and severe difficulties; beset by obstacles that are hard to overcome.
colloquialworkdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe a situation where one obstacle follows another, creating a sense of being trapped or overwhelmed. It carries a formal or literary weight despite being used in spoken Cantonese, so it is often reserved for serious discussions about work or complex projects rather than minor daily inconveniences.
Examples
This business deal is plagued with difficulties, we really cannot handle it.
Do you think this plan is full of obstacles?
Related words
Common phrases
the road ahead is full of obstacles
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this as a verb phrase. It is an adjective describing a state or situation, so it should follow a subject or be used with 係, rather than being used to describe an action.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
