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艱難險阻

简艰难险阻 · 繁艱難險阻

Mandarin · pinyin jiān nán xiǎn zǔ

untold dangers and difficulties (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

艱: Look up this written character
難: Look up this written character
險: Look up this written character
阻: zǔ · impede, hinder, obstruct; oppose
艰: jiān · difficult, hard; distressing
难: nán · difficult, arduous, hard; unable
险: xiǎn · narrow pass, strategic point

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2–3–3 · jian1 nan2 xian3 zu3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

艱難險阻 · find source passages ↗ · 艰难险阻 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gaan1 naan4 him2 zo2

Cantonese word readings for 艱難險阻. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) difficulties and dangers

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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