Keyword
difficult
Info
FrequencyTop 300-400
Type
Kyōiku (6th grade) 
?
Shinjitai ?
KankenLevel 5
Heisig1703
Old form難
Readings
なん
(31%)
がた
(4%)
にく
(3%)
Composed of
blades of grass
mouth
husband
old bird
Mnemonic

A husband with a big mouth is hiding in the grass from an old bird that he pissed off. You never want to piss off an old (hence very experienced) killer bird. It's really difficult to run away from such a killing machine, so the only thing you can do is to hide in the bushes and hope it doesn't find you.

Used in kanji (2 in total)
rough seas
???
Used in vocabulary (444 in total)
difficult; hard; impossible; unfeasible; fussy; particular; gloomy
difficulty; hardship; trouble; infeasibility; inability (to carry out)
taking refuge; finding shelter; evacuation; escape; seeking safe haven
criticism; blame; censure; attack; reproach
safe (e.g. choice); secure; innocuous; acceptable; passable; satisfactory
degree of difficulty; difficulty level
difficult to ...; hard to ...
hard to say; inexpressible; hesitant to say; embarrassing; delicate
calamity; misfortune; disaster
difficult voyage; stormy passage; hard flight; rough going; running into trouble; proceeding with difficulty
(meeting with) disaster; (having an) accident; mishap; shipwreck; distress
suffering; distress; hardship; trial
troublesome (person, task, etc.); difficult; suffering; hardship; trouble
without trouble; easily; readily
refugee; displaced person; person inconvenienced by (lack of something, etc.); person unable to satisfactorily (marry, shop, etc.); person who is stuck (in a place or situation)
shelter; safe shelter; evacuation shelter; place of refuge
to look displeased; to frown; to scowl; to look grave; to look serious
difficulty; trouble; accident; disaster; fault; defect
grateful; thankful; welcome; appreciated; evoking gratitude
grateful; thankful; welcome; appreciated; evoking gratitude
difficult to understand; unintelligible; abstruse
hard to please; difficult; particular; bad-tempered; in a bad mood; displeased
difficult problem; challenge
theft; robbery
degree of difficulty
barrier; obstacle; difficulty; hurdle; deadlock
unbearable; intolerable; unendurable
evacuation advisory; official advice to evacuate
a little difficult; slightly hard; not feasible; not possible
unreasonable demand
fault; weakness; flaw; crux (of a matter); difficult point; point of contention
evacuation order; evacuation notice
disapproval; reluctance; unwillingness
Herculean task; next-to-impossible undertaking
perplexity; difficult question; difficult problem
evacuees; displaced persons; refugees
slightly difficult; somewhat bothersome; troublesome; peevish; querulous
unbelievable; incredible; implausible
serious disease; intractable disease; difficult-to-recover-from illness
labored breathing; laboured breathing; dyspnea; dyspnoea
to avoid misfortune; to escape danger
emergency evacuation site (typically outdoors); refuge shelter
hard to get; hard to come by
thank you; thanks
living in evacuation shelters
to blame; to find fault with
formidable enemy
criticism; blame; censure; attack; reproach
perilous pass (on a route or journey); rough spot
most difficult; next to impossible
to be extremely difficult; to present a major challenge
to be a problem
having many difficulties in store; grim prospects
place of refuge; refugee destination
beyond help; past salvation; incorrigible; irredeemable
hard-to-forgive; intolerable; inexcusable; unpardonable
difficulty; trouble
very difficult to ...; nearly impossible to ...
Naniwa (former name for Osaka region)
difficult situation
national crisis; national disaster
peril; danger; hazard; distress
sufferings; ordeals; agony; Passion (of Christ); crucifixion
difficulty
rescue; salvage
difficult; hard
shipwreck
economic difficulties; financial difficulties; fiscal difficulties
to blame; to find fault with
hard problem; person hard to please; hard nut to crack
financial difficulties (for an organization or business)
trial and tribulation; hardships; privations; difficulties
hardness of hearing; bradyacusia; deafness; having poor reception (radio, etc.)
escape route; evacuation route
difficult to imagine; quite unlikely to; very doubtful; would not expect
suffering; distress; difficulty; hardship; misery; being bogged down
not hard to ... (in certain circumstances, it would be possible)
food shortage; food scarcity; difficulty of obtaining food
difficult delivery; difficult childbirth; dystocia
hardships; privations; difficulties
drowning; flood; shipwreck
one difficulty; one danger
full of troubles, difficulties
unbearable; intolerable; unendurable
voluntary evacuation
difficult to obtain; difficult to get
Caught in the Rain
(romantic) trouble with women; calamities brought upon a man by a woman
at all costs; at any cost; surmounting all difficulties
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; UNHCR
thank you; thanks
difficulty of finding employment (due to a job shortage)
accident at sea; maritime accident
one thing after another; out of the frying pan and into the fire
to blame; to find fault with
Herculean task; next-to-impossible undertaking
unforgettable; memorable
person stranded due to mass transit disruptions after an earthquake, etc.
refugee status determination; refugee recognition; certification of refugee status
hard to understand; incomprehensible; unintelligible
burglar-proof; antitheft
to be grateful; to feel grateful; to be thankful
evacuation route; escape route (for evacuees)
many obstacles; innumerable difficulties
value; worth; virtue; blessing
shortage of capital; lack of funds; cash flow problem
unshakable; immovable; undeniable
to regard someone with odium; to look at someone with reproach
to blame; to find fault with
value; worth; virtue; blessing
internally displaced person
great disaster; calamity
unapproachable; inaccessible; difficult to access
unwelcome favor; unwelcome favour; misplaced kindness
uphill task; difficult undertaking (project)
highly selective university; university with high entry requirements; elite university
hard to do
(relative) difficulty
sea rescue; air-sea rescue; ASR
accident at sea; sea disaster; shipwreck
to meet with misfortune
difficult problem or question
rough or steep path
difficult piece (of music)
future problems; consequences
uncontrollable; irrepressible
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
thankfully; fortunately; luckily; mercifully
unapprovable; unable to be confirmed
to heap abuse upon (a person); to criticize strongly; to blast (someone)
formidable; not to be sneered at; not to be made light of
value; worth; virtue; blessing
vertical evacuation (e.g. in a building during a tsunami)
all obstacles; all sorts of trouble
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
without trouble; easily; readily
hard to see; obscured
thank you very much
intolerable; unbearable
hard-to-get-into school; elite school; highly-selective school
designated evacuation shelter
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; UNRWA
to criticize; to point out faults; to speak ill of
to avoid misfortune; to escape danger
hard to see; obscure; indistinct; illegible
Herculean task; next-to-impossible undertaking
evacuation shelter for the elderly or infirm
criticism; censure
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; UNHCR
it's easier said than done; (lit.) saying is easy; doing is hard
refractority (of a disease); intractability; difficulty to cure
to be extremely difficult; to present a major challenge
difficulties in living
to accept (something) with thanks
difficult to read (kanji, name, etc.); having difficult-to-read kanji
to criticize; to point out faults; to speak ill of
dignified; austere; imposing
(calamity of) perishing by the sword; being wounded by the sword
the Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains; a series of disasters
intractable (diseases); hard to cure; rebellious; insurgent; refractory
hard to understand; incomprehensible; unintelligible
the Seven Misfortunes; great number of faults or defects
person who is hard to please; difficult person; grouch; sourpuss
value; worth; virtue; blessing
unwelcome favor; unwelcome favour; misplaced kindness
to accept (something) with thanks
hard to control; unmanageable
highly selective university; university with high entry requirements; elite university
fire disaster
difficult to solve; intractable (problem)
deep-rooted (suspicion, etc.)
hard to handle; difficult to handle; awkward to handle; hard to deal with; unwieldy
difficult to hear; indistinct; hesitating to ask; awkward to ask; unpleasant to hear; painful to listen to
misfortune; calamity
hard to read; illegible
evacuation door; escape hatch
flame retardance; flame resistance; incombustibility
calamity; evil; misfortune
dignified; austere; imposing
wrecked ship; ship in distress
fire escape (staircase); emergency stairs
small misfortune
hard to understand; incomprehensible; unintelligible
predicament; difficult situation
to accept (something) with thanks
(engaging in a round of) mutual criticism; repeated attacks on each other
evacuation site; refuge shelter; shelter
various difficulties
difficult to eat; unpalatable
insurance against theft
physiognomy indicating ill fortune concerning women
difficult role
to accept (something) with thanks
hard to attain to
hard-to-do; difficult; tough; awkward; tricky
net cafe refugee; homeless person living in an Internet cafe
to meet with disaster
search and rescue aircraft; rescue plane
abstruseness; abstruse word
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
I'm sorry to trouble you
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
difficult to say which of the two is better; hard to tell which is better; (there is) little to choose between them
financial difficulties; pecuniary embarrassment
inconvenient (residence); unpleasant (surroundings); difficult (to live in)
accidental death (esp. while climbing mountains or being shipwrecked)
difficult to approach; inaccessible
the hard way; striving for enlightenment through one's own efforts (as opposed to reliance on Amitabha)
(illuminated) emergency exit signs
difficulty of getting into a college
net cafe refugee; homeless person living in an Internet cafe
misfortune; calamity
deaf person; hearing-impaired person
thank you very much
rescue ship; salvage boat
steep; dangerous
labor shortage; labour shortage
thankfully; fortunately; luckily; mercifully
difficult to write or draw; does not write well (pen, brush, etc.)
trouble with men; calamities brought upon a woman by a man
sudden deafness; SD; sudden sensorineural hearing loss; SSHL
trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles
Herculean task; next-to-impossible undertaking
person stranded due to mass transit disruptions after an earthquake, etc.
attacking by argument; denunciation; condemnation; heated controversy
incurable illness
the hardest thing of all
to regard someone with odium; to look at someone with reproach
awkward (difficult) question
indigestible; digestion-resistant; hard-to-digest
large-scale disaster
ball which is hard to hit or catch
appearance or demeanor that attracts unsavory males
religious persecution
Arduous March; North Korean famine of the late 1990s
overcoming a difficulty; breaking through a barrier; clearing a hurdle
denunciation; criticism
trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles
noise-induced hearing loss; NIHL
sudden or unexpected disaster
marine accident inquiry; marine accident enquiry
being driven to the wall; finding oneself between the devil and the deep blue sea; finding oneself between a rock and a hard place
mountain (pile) of difficult problems
designated intractable disease (covered by a specific medical expenses subsidy)
sensorineural hearing loss; sensorineural deafness; SNHL
what a blessing; how fortunate
unable to decline; hard to refuse
risky; dangerous; insecure
word with difficult-to-read kanji
hard to replace (with other person)
hereditary deafness; genetic deafness
hard-to-do; difficult; tough; awkward; tricky
fire escape ladder
difficulty in urination; dysuria
thank you for your continued patronage
disappearance (longer than one year after an accident or disaster); missing and presumed dead
difficulty of obtaining
nanba walking; walking with the arm and leg on each side of the body moving in sync
emergency bag; survival kit
obfuscation (of source code)
difficult matter or case
suffering (from illness)
difficult to explain
there is no place like home; home is sweet to an exile
fire escape ladder
worker who does not have time to eat lunch
to be thankful; to feel grateful; to show one's gratitude
steep; dangerous
sensorineural hearing loss; sensorineural deafness; SNHL
difficult sentence
person unable to fulfil their shopping needs (esp. in areas of depopulation or due to lack of transport); people who have been cut off from the retail sector; (lit.) shopping refugee
study hard while you are young; (lit.) boys grow old easily but getting learned is harder
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
distress of war
difficult to come
D-skill (in gymnastics)
evacuation shelter for people who require additional care (e.g. the elderly and disabled)
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
evacuation center (typically indoors, e.g. schools, gyms, community centers); refuge
hard to choose between (because both are excellent); equally matched; of comparable quality
fake refugee; phony refugee; illegal migrant disguised as a refugee
something difficult to teach
can't occur easily; difficult to happen
both people are superb in skill (and thus it is hard to rank them)
living is difficult; dying is easy
to heap abuse upon (a person); to criticize strongly; to blast (someone)
becoming more difficult (e.g. exam); increasing difficulty
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
difficult word
what a blessing; how fortunate
difficult (to obtain, receive permission, access, etc.); tough (to do, etc.)
loud criticism; torrent of criticism; fierce denouncement (from many people); uproarious outcry
Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency
emergency evacuation map; escape route plan; escape route map
The Trouble with Harry
difficult phrase
difficult to make friends with
difficult reading of a kanji
hard to say; inexpressible; hesitant to say; embarrassing; delicate
unbearable; intolerable; unendurable
thank you for your continued patronage
what a blessing; how fortunate; thank goodness
what a blessing; how fortunate; thank goodness
naniwabushi; variety of sung narrative popular during the Edo period
difficult to solve; intractable (problem)
what a blessing; how fortunate
deep-rooted (suspicion, etc.)
(engaging in a round of) mutual criticism; repeated attacks on each other
hard to replace (with other person)
hard to choose between (because both are excellent); equally matched; of comparable quality
fire escape ladder
to be thankful; to feel grateful; to show one's gratitude
to be thankful; to feel grateful; to show one's gratitude
scratch-resistant
Naniwa Bay (old name for Osaka Bay)
person who is hard to please; grouch; complainer; whiner
hard to understand; hard to accept
difficult to translate; untranslatable
illegible; indecipherable
nanba running; running with the arm and leg on each side of the body moving in sync
difficult; hard
easy (to ...)
(degree of) difficulty
it is hard to explain; it is hard to say
(television or radio signal's) poor reception
elucidation of a difficult passage
fault-finding
learning disability; learning disabled
certificate of theft (for insurance purposes, etc.)
terribly difficult
over-qualified person; over-educated person (unable to find a job); (lit.) educational refugee
life is not easy; life is hard
it is easy to start an enterprise but hard to maintain it
difficult character; complicated kanji
digestion resistant dextrin; indigestible dextrin
occupational hearing loss; occupational deafness
it's hard to discipline one's mind; (lit.) defeating the bandits in the mountains is easy; defeating the bandit in one's heart is hard
difficult; hard; troublesome; complicated; serious (disease, problem, etc.)
one cannot live solely by oneself; one cannot accomplish anything solely by oneself; (lit.) clapping with one hand is hard
safe-haven currency
primary evacuation shelter (for initial use in emergencies)
reproachful; resentful; seemingly critical
hard to drink; disagreeable; undrinkable; unpalatable; nauseous
Flirting with Disaster (film)
Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata)
value; virtue; blessing
value; virtue; blessing
Examples (200 in total)
It's more difficult than you think.
Do you understand the difficulty of my job?
That isn't so difficult, is it?