ngai4 naan6危難危难
Jyutpingngai4 naan6
Yalengàih naahn
Definition
A highly unsafe, difficult, or critical situation; danger; calamity.
neutralother
How it's used
危難 carries a heavy, serious tone often reserved for life threatening situations or major disasters rather than minor inconveniences. It is frequently used in formal speech or written contexts, though it remains perfectly understandable in daily conversation when describing grave circumstances.
Examples
He saved my life during the crisis.
You all must stay calm when facing a crisis.
Related words
Common phrases
critical moment
to go through a crisis together
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 危險, which is a general adjective for something dangerous. 危難 is a noun that specifically refers to a state of being in a critical, often desperate, predicament.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
