难过/難過 nánguò — sad, upset

Meanings

1. 1

   sad, upset

   Literally "hard to get through" — 难 difficult, 过 to pass. It is grief with a cause: a piece of bad news, a friend leaving, a failure. Sadness without an object is 不高兴.

   adjective
2. 2

   to feel unwell, to be in discomfort

   adjective

   Of the body, 难过 is the opposite of 舒服 rather than of 高兴: 我今天有点儿难过 can mean "I feel off today". Context decides which reading is meant.

Character breakdown

• 过/過

  guò (fourth tone, falling) guo (neutral tone)

  to cross, to pass by, to go through; to spend (time); to exceed; (unstressed guo) the experiential aspect marker

  6 strokes⿺辶寸Radical 辵

Example sentences

• 她的狗生病了，她很难过。/她的狗生病了，她很難過。Tā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) gǒu (third tone, dipping) shēngbìng (first tone, high and level) le, (neutral tone) tā (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) nánguò. (second tone, rising)···

  Her dog is ill and she is very upset.

• 别难过，明天会好的。/別難過，明天會好的。Bié (second tone, rising) nánguò, (second tone, rising) míngtiān (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) hǎo (third tone, dipping) de. (neutral tone)···

  Don’t be sad — tomorrow will be better.

Common mistakes

• Not quite这个题很难过。

  Correct这个题很难。

  难过 describes a person, never a task. A hard question is 很难; only the person facing it can be 难过.

Similar words

Words containing 过

• 过/過guò (fourth tone, falling)ever, have done before (experience particle)
• 过去/過去guòqù (fourth tone, falling)the past, formerly
• 通过/通過tōng (first tone, high and level) guò (fourth tone, falling)by means of
• 经过/經過jīngguò (first tone, high and level)to pass by, to go through (a place)
• 过来/過來guò (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising)to come over
• 不过/不過búguò (second tone, rising)but, however (a lighter contrast than 但是)
• 超过/超過chāo (first tone, high and level) guò (fourth tone, falling)to surpass
• 过程/過程guòchéng (fourth tone, falling)process, course (of an event)
• 错过/錯過cuò (fourth tone, falling) guò (fourth tone, falling)to miss (train, opportunity etc)
• 只不过/只不過zhǐ (third tone, dipping) bu (neutral tone) guò (fourth tone, falling)only
• 度过/度過dù (fourth tone, falling) guò (fourth tone, falling)to pass
• 过分/過分guò (fourth tone, falling) fèn (fourth tone, falling)excessive
• 过度/過度guò (fourth tone, falling) dù (fourth tone, falling)excessive
• 路过/路過lù (fourth tone, falling) guò (fourth tone, falling)to pass by or through
• 过于/過於guò (fourth tone, falling) yú (second tone, rising)too much
• 穿过/穿過chuān (first tone, high and level) guò (fourth tone, falling)to pass through
• 走过/走過zǒu (third tone, dipping) guò (fourth tone, falling)to walk past