难解 難解 nán jiě hard to solve / hard to dispel / hard to understand / hard to undo 攻心 gōng xīn to mount a psychological attack / to try to demoralize / to try to win over / to try to persuade / (TCM) to fall into a coma or stupor due to an excess of emotion 努力 nǔ lì to make an effort / to try hard / to strive / hard-working / conscientious syn 难说 難說 nán shuō hard to tell (i.e. hard to judge or hard to predict) / cannot bring oneself to say it syn 揣摩 chuǎi mó to analyze / to try to figure out / to try to fathom syn 偷鸡不成蚀把米 偷雞不成蝕把米 tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ lit. to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it (idiom) / fig. to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off / to go for wool and come back shorn 画虎类犬 畫虎類犬 huà hǔ lèi quǎn to try to draw a tiger but end up with a likeness of a dog (idiom) / to try to do sth overambitious and end up botching it 初试身手 初試身手 chū shì shēn shǒu to have a try / to try one's hand / initial foray 治丝益棼 治絲益棼 zhì sī yì fén lit. try to straighten out silk threads only to tangle them further (idiom) / fig. to try to help but end up making things worse 牛不喝水强按头 牛不喝水強按頭 niú bù hē shuǐ qiǎng àn tóu lit. to try to make an ox drink by forcing its head down to the water (idiom) / fig. to try to impose one's will on sb 画虎不成反类犬 畫虎不成反類犬 huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi quǎn to try to draw a tiger but end up with a likeness of a dog (idiom) / to try to do sth overambitious and end up botching it 力图 力圖 lì tú to try hard to / to strive to syn 打拼 dǎ pīn to work hard / to try to make a living 力挽狂澜 力挽狂瀾 lì wǎn kuáng lán to pull strongly against a crazy tide (idiom) / fig. to try hard to save a desperate crisis syn 迎头赶上 迎頭趕上 yíng tóu gǎn shàng to try hard to catch up syn 着力 著力 zhuó lì to put effort into sth / to try really hard syn 水滴石穿 shuǐ dī shí chuān dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom) / constant perseverance yields success / You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. / Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty. syn 滴水穿石 dī shuǐ chuān shí dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom) / constant perseverance yields success / You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. / Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty. syn 皇天不负苦心人 皇天不負苦心人 huáng tiān bù fù kǔ xīn rén Heaven will not disappoint the person who tries (idiom). If you try hard, you're bound to succeed eventually. 强忍悲痛 強忍悲痛 qiáng rěn bēi tòng to try hard to suppress one's grief (idiom) 滴水石穿 dī shuǐ shí chuān dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom) / constant perseverance yields success / You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up. / Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty. 着劲儿 著勁兒 zhuó jìn r to put effort into sth / to try really hard 着劲 著勁 zhuó jìn to put effort into sth / to try really hard 辛苦 xīn kǔ exhausting / hard / tough / arduous / to work hard / to go to a lot of trouble / hardship(s) syn 移动硬盘 移動硬盤 yí dòng yìng pán portable hard drive / external hard drive 苦练 苦練 kǔ liàn to train hard / to practice diligently / hard work / blood, sweat, and tears 硬碟 yìng dié (Tw) hard disk / hard drive 难解难分 難解難分 nán jiě nán fēn hard to untie, hard to separate (idiom) / inextricably involved / locked in battle syn 积重难返 積重難返 jī zhòng nán fǎn ingrained habits are hard to overcome (idiom) / bad old practices die hard syn 刻苦耐劳 刻苦耐勞 kè kǔ nài láo to bear hardships and work hard (idiom) / assiduous and long-suffering / hard-working and capable of overcoming adversity syn 戴盆望天 dài pén wàng tiān lit. viewing the sky with a basin on one's head / it is hard to get a clear view of the sky while carrying a platter on one's head / fig. it is hard to get on in one's career while encumbered by family obligations / one can't perform a major task while bothered by other duties syn 良工心苦 liáng gōng xīn kǔ expert craft from hard practice (idiom) / hard-won skill / A masterpiece demands suffering. 疑难杂症 疑難雜症 yí nán zá zhèng dubious or hard-to-treat cases (medicine) / hard cases 难以应付 難以應付 nán yǐ yìng fù hard to deal with / hard to handle 硬磁盘 硬磁盤 yìng cí pán hard drive / hard disk 明枪好躲，暗箭难防 明槍好躲，暗箭難防 míng qiāng hǎo duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom) / it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies 明枪易躲，暗箭难防 明槍易躲，暗箭難防 míng qiāng yì duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom) / it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies 硬墙营房 硬牆營房 yìng qiáng yíng fáng hard-walled camp / hard-walled module / rigid structure 硬墙宿舍 硬墻宿舍 hard-walled camp / hard-walled module / rigid structure 储存场 儲存場 chǔ cún chǎng hard-standing / hard-stand 难搞 難搞 nán gǎo hard to deal with / hard to get along with 硬式磁碟机 硬式磁碟機 yìng shì cí dié jī hard disk / hard drive 硬编码 硬編碼 yìng biān mǎ (computing) to hard code / hard-coded 机车 機車 jī chē locomotive / train engine car / (Tw) scooter / (Tw) (slang) hard to get along with / to be a pain in the ass / (Tw) damn! / crap! syn 铁 鐵 tiě iron (metal) / arms / weapons / hard / strong / violent / unshakeable / determined / close / tight (slang) syn 背 bèi the back of a body or object / to turn one's back / to hide something from / to learn by heart / to recite from memory / unlucky (slang) / hard of hearing syn 人艰不拆 人艱不拆 rén jiān bù chāi life is hard enough as it is / don't burst my bubble (Internet slang) 凤凰男 鳳凰男 fèng huáng nán (Internet slang) guy who grew up in the countryside and gained a foothold in the city through hard work 辣眼睛 là yǎn jing (neologism c. 2016) (slang) unpleasant to look at / hard on the eyes 动Ｌ 動Ｌ dòng L flowing / flexible / lively (internet slang) / flowing / flexible / lively (Internet slang) 小白 xiǎo bái (slang) novice / greenhorn / (old) (slang) fool / idiot / abbr. for 小白臉|小白脸[xiao3 bai2 lian3], pretty boy 尬舞 gà wǔ (slang) to battle each other in street dancing (derived from Taiwanese 較, which sounds similar to Mandarin 尬[ga4]) / (slang) to perform weird dance moves 下头 下頭 xià tóu (slang) (of a person or manner) off-putting / (slang) to feel put off syn 拆家 chāi jiā (slang) low-level drug dealer / (slang) (of a pet) to wreck the house (scattering trash, chewing on furniture etc) 捡漏 撿漏 jiǎn lòu to repair a leaky roof / (dialect) to find fault / to nitpick / (slang) to score a bargain (esp. when the seller is unaware of the item's true value) / (slang) to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity 树洞 樹洞 shù dòng tree hollow / (slang) anonymous platform for sharing secrets / (slang) confidant 一下 yī xià (after a verb) a bit / a little (indicating brief duration, or softening the tone, or suggesting giving sth a try) / all at once / suddenly syn 尝试 嘗試 cháng shì to try / to attempt / CL:次[ci4] syn 向上 xiàng shàng upward / up / to advance / to try to improve oneself / to make progress syn 试用 試用 shì yòng to try sth out / to be on probation 试图 試圖 shì tú to attempt / to try syn 克服 kè fú (try to) overcome (hardships etc) / to conquer / to put up with / to endure syn 企图 企圖 qǐ tú to attempt / to try / attempt / CL:種|种[zhong3] syn 审判 審判 shěn pàn a trial / to try sb syn 抢先 搶先 qiǎng xiān to rush (to do sth urgent) / to try to be the first / to forestall syn 试行 試行 shì xíng to try out / to test syn 试着 試著 shì zhe (coll.) to try to 设法 設法 shè fǎ to try / to make an attempt / to think of a way (to accomplish sth) syn 试探 試探 shì tàn to sound out / to probe / to feel out / to try out syn 试试看 試試看 shì shì kàn to give it a try syn 辩解 辯解 biàn jiě to explain / to justify / to defend (a point of view etc) / to provide an explanation / to try to defend oneself syn 追查 zhuī chá to try to find out / to trace / to track down 试一试 試一試 shì yī shì to have a try 淘金 táo jīn to pan for gold / to try to make a fortune 竞猜 競猜 jìng cāi to try to predict the outcome of an event (for betting on sports results or for fun etc) syn 求得 qiú dé to ask for sth and receive it / to try to obtain / to look for and obtain syn 想方设法 想方設法 xiǎng fāng shè fǎ to think up every possible method (idiom) / to devise ways and means / to try this, that and the other syn 审讯 審訊 shěn xùn inquest / trial / interrogation / to try / to interrogate syn 初试 初試 chū shì preliminary exam / qualifying exam / first try / preliminary testing 跃跃欲试 躍躍欲試 yuè yuè yù shì to be eager to give sth a try (idiom) syn 取悦 取悅 qǔ yuè to try to please syn 妄图 妄圖 wàng tú to try in vain / futile attempt 逞强 逞強 chěng qiáng to show off / to try to be brave syn 无计可施 無計可施 wú jì kě shī no strategy left to try (idiom) / at one's wit's end / at the end of one's tether / powerless syn 流窜 流竄 liú cuàn to roam all over the place / to go into every nook and corner / to infiltrate / (of criminals, enemies etc) to be on the run / to flee and try to hide syn 探听 探聽 tàn tīng to make inquiries / to try to find out / to pry syn 碰运气 碰運氣 pèng yùn qi to try one's luck / to leave sth to chance 试制 試製 shì zhì to try out a new product (or manufacturing process) / prototype / trial product 试穿 試穿 shì chuān to try wearing clothes / fitting trial syn 尽力而为 盡力而為 jìn lì ér wéi to try one's utmost / to strive syn 枉费 枉費 wǎng fèi to waste (one's breath, one's energy etc) / to try in vain syn 弄巧成拙 nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō to overreach oneself / to try to be clever and end up with egg on one's face syn 审结 審結 shěn jié (law) to try (a criminal case) and reach a conclusion syn 看 kàn to see / to look at / to read / to watch / to visit / to call on / to consider / to regard as / to look after / to treat (a patient or illness) / to depend on / to feel (that) / (after a verb) to give it a try / to watch out for syn 押宝 押寶 yā bǎo to play yabao (a gambling game) / (fig.) to gamble on / to take one's chance / to try one's luck 套话 套話 tào huà polite phrase / conventional greetings / cliché / to try to worm facts out of sb 试办 試辦 shì bàn to try sth out / trial / pilot scheme syn 劝架 勸架 quàn jià to mediate in a quarrel / to intervene in a dispute and try to calm things down syn 辩白 辯白 biàn bái to offer an explanation / to plead innocence / to try to defend oneself syn 