khó nhằn

Học thuật

Thân thiện

Món ăn này quá khó nhằn đối với đứa trẻ.

Definition

Adjective:
- Difficult to handle, tough, challenging: Used to describe a task, problem, or situation that is hard to accomplish, solve, or deal with. It often implies a level of stubbornness or resilience in the object of the difficulty.
- Hard to "chew" or "swallow" (figurative): Originating from the literal idea of food that is tough to chew, it metaphorically describes something that is not easy to accept, overcome, or digest mentally.

Usage Examples

Adjective:
- Bài toán này thật sự rất khó nhằn. (This math problem is really tough.)
- Đối thủ của anh ấy là một tay đấm khó nhằn. (His opponent is a hard-to-beat boxer.)
- Dự án mới quả là khó nhằn, nhưng chúng tôi sẽ cố gắng. (The new project is truly challenging, but we will try.)

Advanced Usage

Often used in informal, colloquial speech to add emphasis to the difficulty of something.
Can describe both concrete objects (e.g., a tough piece of meat) and abstract concepts (e.g., a difficult person, a complex problem).
The word carries a slightly gritty, resilient connotation, suggesting the challenging thing actively resists being solved or overcome.

Variants and Related Words

Khó nhá (adj): A very close synonym, essentially identical in meaning and register (colloquial). (This job is way too tough!)
Khó nuốt (adj): Literally "hard to swallow." Can be used literally for food or figuratively for difficult-to-accept facts or situations. (That criticism is hard to swallow.)
Khó xơi (adj): Similar colloquial term meaning "hard to deal with" or "tough to handle."

Synonyms

Khó khăn (adj): Difficult, hard (more standard/formal).
Gai góc (adj): Thorny, prickly; used for complicated, problematic situations.
Cứng đầu cứng cổ (adj): Stubborn, obstinate; often used for difficult people.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Đụng phải cái khó nhằn: To run into/encounter something tough.
- Nhóm nghiên cứu đã đụng phải một vấn đề khó nhằn. (The research team ran into a tough problem.)

Related Idioms

Cứng như đá: Hard as a rock; can describe something physically hard or a very stubborn person.
Khó như lên trời: As difficult as climbing to heaven; an idiom emphasizing extreme difficulty.

Món ăn này quá khó nhằn đối với đứa trẻ.