难看 nán kàn
“ugly; unsightly”
adjectiveHSK 5 · 2021 list level 2Traditional 難看
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
难看 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 780: 难看 nánkàn — Level 3; official annotation 3 (形). PDF page 99
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 难看
Adjective meaning 'ugly, unattractive to look at'. It also describes a face or expression that looks bad, ill, or displeased (脸色很难看), and situations that are awkward or embarrassing (让他很难看); it is thus broader than English 'ugly'. It is common after 很/太, before 的 + noun, or as a complement after 得 (写得太难看).
例句Example sentences
- 这件衣服的颜色很难看，我不喜欢。zhè jiàn yī fu de yán sè hěn nán kàn, wǒ bù xǐ huan.The color of this piece of clothing is ugly; I don't like it.
- 他今天脸色很难看，是不是生病了？tā jīn tiān liǎn sè hěn nán kàn, shì bu shì shēng bìng le?He looks awful today — is he sick?
- 这个字写得太难看了，我看不清。zhè ge zì xiě de tài nán kàn le, wǒ kàn bù qīng.This character is written so badly that I can't read it clearly.
易混词Easily confused
难看vs丑
丑 typically describes physical ugliness of people or things (including handwriting: 字写得很丑). 难看 is broader: it can also describe a face/expression that looks bad or unwell (脸色很难看) and an embarrassing situation (让他很难看), where 丑 is not used.