4 characters Idiom and proverb 29 344

Chinese learners move from characters to idioms as the highest level. This free resource explains 「難鳴孤掌」 below.

Today’s idiom is 「難鳴孤掌」. We’ve outlined its meaning and practical application below.

It is a metaphor for being weak and unable to accomplish anything.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

nán míng gū zhǎng

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

naan4 ming4 gu1 jeung2

Chinese idioms encompass an enormous variety, each rich in its meanings and uses. We’ve compiled these resources to support your efforts in learning the language.