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難解難分

简难解难分 · 繁難解難分

Mandarin · pinyin nán jiě nán fēn

hard to untie, hard to separate (idiom); inextricably involved
locked in battle

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Characters in this entry

難: Look up this written character
解: jiě · loosen, unfasten, untie; explain; hexagram ䷧
分: fēn · divide; small unit of time etc.
难: nán · difficult, arduous, hard; unable

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

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Mandarin tones

2–3–2–1 · nan2 jie3 nan2 fen1

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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.

難解難分 · find source passages ↗ · 难解难分 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

naan4 gaai2 naan4 fan1

Cantonese word readings for 難解難分. 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) to be locked in a stalemate in a fight or struggle
(of a romantic couple) to be intimate and inseparable

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

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