Word

磨难 (mó nàn) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 7

Meaning of 磨难

名 míng noun

hardship

他经历了许多磨难，但从未放弃。

tā jīng lì le xǔ duō mó nàn dàn cóng wèi fàng qì

He experienced many hardships but never gave up.

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Word breakdown

磨 mó — grinding, wearing down through difficulty

1 打磨 dǎ mó — to polish HSK 7
- 打 to strike, to work on physically
- 磨 to grind, to rub smooth
Example

工匠仔细地打磨这块玉石。

gōng jiàng zǐ xì de dǎ mó zhè kuài yù shí

The craftsman carefully polished this piece of jade.
2 折磨 zhé mó — to torment HSK 7
- 折 to break down, to wear down
- 磨 to grind, to wear away persistently
Example

她被内疚折磨得睡不着觉。

tā bèi nèi jiù zhé mó de shuì bù zháo jiào

She was tormented by guilt and couldn't sleep.
3 消磨 xiāo mó — to while away; to wear down HSK 7
- 消 to dissipate, to eliminate (time/energy)
- 磨 to grind away, to wear down gradually
Example

我们在公园里消磨了整个下午。

wǒ men zài gōng yuán lǐ xiāo mó le zhěng gè xià wǔ

We whiled away the whole afternoon in the park.
4 琢磨 zuó mo — to ponder HSK 7
- 琢 to carve, to chisel
- 磨 to grind, to polish
Example

我在琢磨这个问题。

wǒ zài zuó mo zhè ge wèn tí

I am pondering this question.
5 磨合 mó hé — break in, run in HSK 7
- 磨 grind, wear
- 合 fit together, mesh
Example

新车需要磨合一段时间。

xīn chē xū yào mó hé yī duàn shí jiān

A new car needs to be broken in for a period of time.

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6 磨损 mó sǔn — wear down HSK 7
- 磨 grind, rub, wear through friction
- 损 damage, loss, deterioration
Example

轮胎因为长时间使用而磨损。

lún tāi yīn wèi cháng shí jiān shǐ yòng ér mó sǔn

The tires wore down due to long-term use.
7 磨炼 mó liàn — to temper; to steel; to toughen HSK 7
- 磨 to grind; to wear down through friction
- 炼 to refine; to temper through fire
Example

这些困难磨炼了我的意志。

zhè xiē kùn nán mó liàn le wǒ de yì zhì

These difficulties have tempered my will.

难 nàn — difficulty, suffering, calamity

1 灾难 zāi nàn — disaster HSK 6
- 灾 disaster, calamity
- 难 difficulty, catastrophe
Example

灾难发生后，救援队立即赶到现场。

zāi nàn fā shēng hòu jiù yuán duì lì jí gǎn dào xiàn chǎng

After the disaster occurred, the rescue team immediately rushed to the scene.
2 刁难 diāo nàn — to make things difficult for HSK 7
- 刁 crafty, deliberately troublesome
- 难 difficult, trouble
Example

别刁难他了，他已经尽力了。

bié diāo nàn tā le tā yǐ jīng jìn lì le

Stop making things difficult for him, he's already done his best.
3 空难 kōng nàn — air disaster HSK 7
- 空 air, sky, aviation
- 难 disaster, calamity
Example

调查人员正在分析空难的原因。

diào chá rén yuán zhèng zài fēn xī kōng nàn de yuán yīn

Investigators are analyzing the cause of the air disaster.
4 苦难 kǔ nàn — suffering HSK 7
- 苦 bitter, painful
- 难 disaster, calamity
Example

战争给人民带来了巨大的苦难。

zhàn zhēng gěi rén mín dài lái le jù dà de kǔ nàn

War brought great suffering to the people.
5 遇难 yù nàn — to perish HSK 7
- 遇 to encounter, to meet with
- 难 disaster, calamity, misfortune
Example

三名登山者在雪崩中遇难。

sān míng dēng shān zhě zài xuě bēng zhōng yù nàn

Three climbers perished in an avalanche.

Structure & writing

1 磨 mó — to rub; to wear away

磨 is a component in 1 characters

HSK 7

蘑 mó edible mushroom (e.g. button mushroom, pine mushroom)

consists of

1.1 麻 má — herbaceous plant of the hemp family (e.g. cannabis, ramie, abutilon, flax); stem-bark fiber used to make rope and cloth

麻 is a component in 4 characters

HSK 6

嘛 ma particle indicating something is obvious or self-evident 摩 mó to rub; to move back and forth against something

HSK 7

磨 mó to rub; to wear away 魔 mó evil demon or malevolent spirit in religion or mythology; metaphor for harmful forces

1.2 石 shí — rock; stone (hard mineral matter forming the earth's crust)

石 is a component in 30 characters

HSK 3

矿 kuàng mineral resources 码 mǎ a symbol or figure representing a number; a code number 碗 wǎn bowl (a round vessel with a wide mouth and small base, used for holding food)

HSK 4

研 yán to grind finely 破 pò to break; become damaged or incomplete 础 chǔ foundation stone; stone base placed beneath a pillar 硕 shuò large; tall and big 确 què accurate; true; factual

HSK 5

硬 yìng hard; rigid (opposite of 软) 碌 lù mediocre; accomplishing nothing 碎 suì to break into pieces; to shatter 碰 pèng to collide; to bump into something

HSK 6

砍 kǎn to chop or hack with a knife, axe, etc. 砖 zhuān brick (building material made by firing clay in a kiln, usually rectangular or square) 碍 ài to hinder, obstruct 碳 tàn carbon (chemical element, symbol C, atomic number 6)

HSK 7

岩 yán steep cliff 拓 tuò to open up (land, roads) 砌 qì to lay bricks or stones with mortar 砸 zá to strike or smash with a heavy object; (of a heavy object) to fall on something 碑 bēi stone stele inscribed with text, erected to commemorate an event, achievement, or as a marker

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碟 dié small shallow dish or saucer for food 碧 bì (lit.) blue-green jade 磁 cí magnetism; the property of attracting iron, nickel, cobalt and other metals 磅 bàng pound (unit of weight, symbol lb; 1 pound = 0.4536 kg) 磊 lěi (lit.) numerous and scattered in disorder (see "磊落") 磋 cuō (lit.) to carve or polish ivory into objects 磕 kē to knock against something hard 磨 mó to rub; to wear away 礁 jiāo reef; rock near the water surface in sea, river, or lake

Stroke order

2 难 nàn — misfortune; disaster; calamity

Xpinyin

难 is a component in 3 characters

HSK 7

摊 tān to spread out; to lay flat 滩 tān beach; shoal; sandbank (flat land formed by silt along rivers, lakes, or seas) 瘫 tān paralysis; loss of motor function due to nerve damage

consists of

2.1 又 yòu — again; indicating repetition or successive occurrence of an action

又 is a component in 38 characters

HSK 1

对 duì to answer; to reply 服 fú clothing; garment 欢 huān joyful, happy 汉 hàn Han River (汉江), originating in southern Shaanxi, flowing into the Yangtze at Wuhan, Hubei 鸡 jī chicken (domestic fowl with short beak, red comb, and short wings)

HSK 3

双 shuāng two (often symmetrical, opposite of 单) 叔 shū father's younger brother; also a form of address for a man of the same generation as one's father but younger and unrelated (can be reduplicated) 受 shòu to receive; to accept 变 biàn to change; to differ from before 戏 xì to play; to frolic

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报 bào newspaper; also refers to certain periodicals 轻 qīng light in weight; low in density (opposite of '重') 难 nán difficult; not easy (opposite of 易)

HSK 4

仅 jǐn only; merely 反 fǎn to flip over; to turn upside down 取 qǔ to take into one's hand 度 dù instrument or unit for measuring length 支 zhī to prop up; to support

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观 guān to observe carefully 餐 cān to eat (a meal)

HSK 5

劝 quàn to persuade; to convince someone by presenting facts and reasoning 叉 chā fork (a utensil with two or more tines at one end and a handle at the other) 权 quán ancient counterweight of a steelyard 艰 jiān difficult; not easy

HSK 6

叙 xù to narrate, to chat 径 jìng narrow path; footpath 竖 shù upright, vertical, perpendicular to the ground (opposite of '横')

HSK 7

侵 qīn to invade, to encroach on others' rights 凤 fèng phoenix, the legendary king of birds (the male is called 凤, the female 凰) 叹 tàn to sigh out of worry or sorrow 圣 shèng supremely exalted and wise 奴 nú slave (person oppressed, exploited, and controlled in old society)

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寝 qǐn to sleep 浸 jìn to soak in liquid; to steep 璨 càn (lit.) fine jade 盈 yíng to be full; to fill up 缀 zhuì to sew together; to stitch 驭 yù to drive (a carriage or horse)

2.2 隹 zhuī — short-tailed bird radical

隹 is a component in 23 characters

HSK 1

谁 shéi who (interrogative pronoun)

HSK 2

准 zhǔn standard; norm; criterion

HSK 3

难 nán difficult; not easy (opposite of 易)

HSK 4

售 shòu to sell; to vend 推 tuī push (an object) outward in the direction of force

HSK 5

唯 wéi solely, only 堆 duī a pile; a heap of accumulated things 维 wéi to connect; to tie 集 jí to gather, assemble, collect

HSK 6

截 jié to cut off; to sever (something long and slender) 携 xié to carry with one; to bring along 椎 zhuī vertebra, short bone forming the spine in humans and higher animals 焦 jiāo scorched, charred (dried out by heat, turning yellowish-black, hard and brittle) 雄 xióng male (of organisms that produce sperm, opposite of 雌)

HSK 7

帷 wéi curtain; tent curtain surrounding an area 稚 zhì (dial.) late-planted crops 雀 què sparrow; small bird with long wings, varies in plumage between sexes, feeds on grains and insects; refers broadly to small birds 雅 yǎ court music of the Zhou dynasty; the Ya odes in the Book of Songs (divided into Greater Ya and Lesser Ya) 雇 gù to hire someone to work for you

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雌 cí female (of animals or plants, capable of producing egg cells; opposite of 雄) 雕 diāo to carve or engrave on bamboo, wood, jade, metal, etc. 霍 huò (lit.) suddenly; swiftly 鹤 hè crane (large wading bird with long neck and legs, white or grey plumage)

Stroke order