为难 meaning in English
to feel embarrassed or awkward; to make things difficult (for someone)
Meaning of 为难
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to feel embarrassed or awkward
- to make things difficult (for someone)
- to find things difficult (to do or manage)
How to use 为难
As a verb, 为难 often means giving someone a hard time, as in 别为难他 (bié wéinán tā), "don't make things hard for him." As an adjective, it describes feeling torn or awkward: 这件事让我很为难。(Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒ hěn wéinán.) This puts me in an awkward position.
为 (wéi) can mean "to act as" or "to make," and 难 (nán) means "difficult." So 为难 is literally "to make difficult," either for someone else or for yourself when you feel stuck.
Common mistake: Learners often read 为 here as wèi, the tone used in 为什么 (wèi shénme) and 因为 (yīnwèi), but in 为难 it is second tone wéi, like in 认为 (rènwéi) and 成为 (chéngwéi). Also, 难 stays second tone nán here, not the fourth tone nàn used in 灾难 (zāinàn).
为难 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
为 wèi · because of · 4 strokes
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难 nán · difficult · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 为难.
| 为什么 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? |
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 认为 | rènwéi | to believe; to think; to consider; to feel |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless refe |
| 成为 | chéngwéi | to become; to turn into |
| 行为 | xíngwéi | action; conduct; behavior; activity |
| 难过 | nánguò | to feel sad; to feel unwell |
| 难受 | nánshòu | to feel unwell; to suffer pain |
| 难看 | nánkàn | ugly; unsightly |
| 难题 | nántí | difficult problem |
| 难听 | nántīng | unpleasant to hear; coarse |
| 为了 | wèile | for; for the purpose of; in order to |
Questions about 为难
What does 为难 mean?
为难 (wéinán) means "to feel embarrassed or awkward; to make things difficult (for someone)" and is used as a adjective and verb.
How do you write 为难?
为难 is made of 2 characters: 为 (4 strokes), 难 (10 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 为难 an HSK word?
Yes. 为难 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 为难 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 为难 is written 為難.
What is the difference between 为难 and 困难?
困难 (kùnnan) describes something that is objectively hard, like a difficult task or financial hardship. 为难 focuses on the awkward feeling of being caught between choices, or on someone deliberately making things hard for another person.
How do I politely say I don't want to put someone on the spot?
You can say 我不想让你为难 (wǒ bù xiǎng ràng nǐ wéinán), "I don't want to put you in a difficult position." It is a common and considerate phrase when making a request someone might need to refuse.