wai3 naan4畏難畏难
Jyutpingwai3 naan4
Yalewai nàahn
Definition
To fear difficulties; to shrink from or be afraid of obstacles.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on a person's internal attitude or psychological resistance toward undertaking a task. It describes a lack of grit or a tendency to shy away from challenges before even attempting them. This is distinct from being put in a tough spot by someone else, which is expressed by 為難.
Examples
Don't be so afraid of difficulties when working, just give it a try.
He is someone who fears difficulty, he doesn't want to do anything even slightly tiring.
Related words
Common phrases
a mentality of fearing difficulties
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 為難, which is a transitive verb meaning to make things difficult for someone else. Remember that 畏難 is an adjective or intransitive verb describing a person's mindset, while 為難 is about external pressure.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
