1. the state of being hard to do, understand, or deal with
困難的狀態；難度
She had great difficulty understanding the instructions.
她在理解說明上遇到很大的困難。
The difficulty of the exam surprised many students.
考試的難度讓許多學生感到驚訝。
Difficulty Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
difficulty
noun
快速理解
What does "Difficulty" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Difficulty"?
指事情複雜、難以處理或需要付出大量努力的狀態。
- 1
困難的狀態
EN: the state of being hard to do, understand, or deal with
翻譯: 指事情本身具有挑戰性、不易完成的性質。
- 2
具體的難題
EN: a problem or obstacle that makes something hard
翻譯: 指在過程中遇到的具體障礙或麻煩。
- 3
艱辛；困苦
EN: a situation that is hard to endure, often involving effort or struggle
翻譯: 指需要艱苦努力或令人感到痛苦的處境。
小提醒：注意不可數與可數的用法區別：泛指困難時為不可數名詞 (have difficulty)，指具體難題時為可數名詞 (financial difficulties)。
發音（How to Pronounce "Difficulty" in English）
How to pronounce "Difficulty" in English?"Difficulty" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Difficulty" from YouTube Videos
UK tells Israel not to retaliate as France set to recognise Palestinian state | BBC News
BBC News
“there is a a difficulty to see how these territories will potentially be governed going forward.”
(1 out of 24)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Difficulty"?How does "Difficulty" change by context?
2. a problem or obstacle that makes something hard
難題；障礙
We encountered several technical difficulties during the project.
我們在專案進行中遇到了好幾個技術難題。
The main difficulty is a lack of funding.
主要的障礙是資金不足。
3. a situation of trouble or hardship
困境；艱難處境
The company is in financial difficulty.
這家公司正處於財務困境。
He helped me when I was in difficulty.
當我處境艱難時，他幫助了我。
4. a disagreement or conflict
爭執；分歧
They settled their difficulties through negotiation.
他們透過談判解決了彼此的分歧。
There were some difficulties between the two departments.
兩個部門之間存在一些爭執。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Difficulty"?How to make natural sentences with "Difficulty"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| difficulty + (in) + V-ing | 在…方面有困難 | He had difficulty (in) understanding the local dialect. (他在理解當地方言方面有困難。) |
| difficulty + with + noun | 對…有困難；在…方面有問題 | She is having difficulty with the new software. (她在使用新軟體方面有問題。) |
| find/experience/encounter + difficulty | 遇到困難 | Many students encounter difficulty with this advanced topic. (許多學生在這個進階主題上遇到困難。) |
| have + no/little/some/great + difficulty | 沒有/幾乎沒有/有一些/有很大困難 | We had no difficulty finding the house. (我們毫不費力就找到了那棟房子。) |
| run into/face + difficulties | 遇到/面臨困難 | The project ran into unexpected financial difficulties. (該計畫遇到了意想不到的財務困難。) |
| overcome/solve + a difficulty | 克服/解決困難 | The team worked together to overcome the technical difficulty. (團隊共同努力克服了技術難題。) |
| the difficulty of + noun/V-ing | …的困難（性） | He underestimated the difficulty of the mountain climb. (他低估了攀登這座山的困難程度。) |
用法說明
How is "Difficulty" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Difficulty"?
difficulty doing vs difficulty to do
- 名詞 difficulty 後面通常接 動名詞 (V-ing)，表示「在做某事上有困難」。
- 結構 difficulty to do 在標準英語中是錯誤的，應避免使用。
- 常見的搭配是 have difficulty (in) doing something，其中的介系詞 in 經常被省略。
- 另一個正確的結構是 difficulty with something，後面接名詞。 EN: Many students have difficulty understanding advanced calculus. 翻譯: 許多學生在理解高等微積分上有困難。
EN:She had no difficulty finding the hidden path.
翻譯:她毫不費力就找到了那條隱密的小徑。
總結建議
建議使用 have difficulty (in) doing something 的結構，並避免使用 difficulty to do。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Difficulty" and similar words?How to choose "Difficulty" vs alternatives?
difficulty vs hardship
「difficulty」泛指一般性的困難或挑戰；「hardship」則指更嚴重、更持久的艱辛或困苦，常與生活條件或環境相關。
difficulty vs problem
「difficulty」強調做事的難度或挑戰性；「problem」則指需要解決的具體問題或麻煩。
difficulty vs struggle
「difficulty」是名詞，指困難本身；「struggle」可作名詞或動詞，強調為克服困難而進行的努力或鬥爭。
口語用法
How is "Difficulty" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Difficulty"?
引述
在轉述他人遇到的問題或抱怨時，常用這個詞來概括情況。 EN: She was telling me about the difficulty of finding a parking spot downtown. 翻譯: 她跟我說起在市中心找停車位有多困難。
EN:He mentioned the difficulty of getting everyone to agree on a time.
翻譯:他提到要讓所有人對時間達成共識很困難。
語氣強調
在口語中，常與 "real", "big", "so much" 等詞連用，以加強語氣，表達強烈的感受。 EN: I had a real difficulty understanding the instructions without a manual. 翻譯: 沒有手冊，我真的很難理解那些說明。
EN:We ran into so much difficulty when the system crashed.
翻譯:系統當機時，我們遇到了好多困難。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，會用 "the difficulty is..." 或 "one difficulty is..." 作為短暫停頓，引出主要觀點。 EN: Well, the difficulty is, we don't have enough budget to proceed. 翻譯: 嗯，困難點在於，我們沒有足夠的預算繼續進行。
EN:I like the plan. One difficulty, though, is the tight deadline.
翻譯:我喜歡這個計畫。不過，有一個難處是期限太緊了。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式商業寫作中，應避免將 "difficulty" 用於上述口語的停頓填充或過於隨意的語氣強調。建議使用更精確的術語，如 "challenge", "obstacle", 或 "complication"，並採用更結構化的句式來表達問題所在。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Difficulty"?What fixed phrases with "Difficulty" should I remember?
have difficulty
have difficulty (in) doing something
在做某事時有困難
difficulty with
difficulty with something
對某事有困難
level of difficulty
level of difficulty
困難程度
experience difficulty
experience difficulty (in) doing something
經歷困難
great difficulty
great difficulty
巨大的困難
encounter difficulty
encounter difficulty
遇到困難
overcome a difficulty
overcome a difficulty
克服困難
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Difficulty"?Which "Difficulty" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I have difficulty to understand this concept.
✓I have difficulty understanding this concept.
The noun 'difficulty' is followed by the gerund (-ing form), not the infinitive ('to understand'). This is a common pattern with 'have difficulty'.
×He faced many difficulties to solve the problem.
✓He faced many difficulties in solving the problem.
When describing the specific area of difficulty, use the preposition 'in' + gerund, not the infinitive.
×This task is of great difficulty.
✓This task is very difficult. / This task presents great difficulty.
While 'of great difficulty' is grammatically possible, it is very formal and uncommon in everyday speech. Using the adjective 'difficult' or the verb phrase 'presents difficulty' is more natural.
×We discussed about the difficulty.
✓We discussed the difficulty.
The verb 'discuss' is a transitive verb and does not require the preposition 'about'. This is a common error due to influence from phrases like 'talk about'.
×There is a difficulty to get a visa.
✓There is difficulty in getting a visa. / It is difficult to get a visa.
The structure 'There is a difficulty to...' is incorrect. Use 'There is difficulty in + gerund' or rephrase using the adjective 'difficult'.
×He has a difficulty with his pronunciation.
✓He has difficulty with his pronunciation. / He has a problem with his pronunciation.
When 'difficulty' is used in a general, uncountable sense (meaning 'the state of being difficult'), it usually does not take an indefinite article 'a'. Use it uncountably or use the countable noun 'problem'.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Difficulty"?What are tense/participle forms of "Difficulty"?