noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
difficult voyage; stormy passage; hard flight
Literal use for travel by sea or air that encounters bad weather or obstacles.
台風のため船が難航した。
The ship had a difficult voyage due to the typhoon.
濃霧で飛行機が難航している。
The plane is having a hard flight because of thick fog.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
rough going; running into trouble; proceeding with difficulty
Figurative use for projects, negotiations, or processes that face setbacks and do not go smoothly.
交渉は難航している。
The negotiations are running into trouble.
新製品の開発が難航している。
Development of the new product is proceeding with difficulty.