難なん関かん

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

barrier; obstacle; hurdle; difficult point

Refers to a difficult barrier or crucial test that must be overcome, often used for competitive exams, negotiations, or challenging stages in a process.

彼かれは大だい学がく

Related words· 8

障しょう害がいN3

障害 is a general obstacle or impediment in any context, while 難関 specifically denotes a tough hurdle that must be cleared, often in exams or competitions.

壁かべN4

壁 is a literal wall used metaphorically for any barrier, whereas 難関 is a more formal term specifically for institutional or competitive hurdles.

ハードル

ハードル is a casual, borrowed word for a hurdle or challenge, while 難関 sounds more formal and is typical in writing about exams or negotiations.

困こん難なんN3

困難 describes difficulty or hardship in a broad sense, while 難関 points to a specific, identifiable barrier that must be passed.

Show 4 more

関かん門もんN1
難関 stresses that the barrier is genuinely hard to pass, whereas 関門 can be a neutral checkpoint and only feels like 難関 in its figurative 'hurdle' sense.
難なん問もんN1
難関 describes a difficult barrier or hurdle one must overcome (e.g. an exam or negotiation), whereas 難問 refers to the hard question or problem itself.
難なん題だい
難関 refers to a difficult barrier or hurdle to overcome (like an exam), while 難題 refers more broadly to a difficult problem or demand.

Don't confuse with

関かん門もんN1

関門 originally means a checkpoint or gate and is often used interchangeably with 難関, but 関門 can also refer to a literal physical gate, whereas 難関 is always figurative.

難なん点てんN1

難点 refers to a specific flaw or problematic point in something, while 難関 refers to an overall barrier or stage that is hard to get past.

難なん解かいN1

難関 (a difficult barrier or obstacle, as in 難関大学) shares the kanji 難 and a similar sound with 難解, but refers to a hard challenge to overcome rather than something hard to understand.

Meanings

Usage patterns