B1 Expression Neutral

难说得很

nan shuo de hen

It's hard to say

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use '难说得很' when you want to express that a situation is highly unpredictable or impossible to determine with certainty.

  • Means: It is very difficult to say or predict the outcome.
  • Used in: Discussing future events, sports results, or complex social situations.
  • Don't confuse: Don't use it to mean 'I don't want to talk about it'.
Shrugging shoulders + Question mark = 难说得很

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'It is very hard to say'. Use it when you don't know the answer to a question about the future.
When someone asks you about a future event and you are not sure, you can say '难说得很'. It shows that the situation is complicated and unpredictable.
This expression is used to emphasize that a situation is highly uncertain. It is more emphatic than simply saying '很难说'. It is common in daily conversation when discussing topics like sports, weather, or personal outcomes.
The phrase '难说得很' functions as an emphatic predicate to denote high levels of uncertainty. It is a pragmatic tool used by native speakers to avoid making definitive claims, thereby maintaining social harmony and acknowledging the complexity of the subject matter.
Linguistically, '难说得很' serves as a degree-complement construction that intensifies the epistemic modality of uncertainty. By utilizing the 'V + 得 + C' structure, the speaker elevates the status of the uncertainty from a mere lack of knowledge to an objective characteristic of the situation itself, often used to deflect pressure in social discourse.
This expression exemplifies the intersection of syntactic intensification and pragmatic hedging in Mandarin. It functions as a discourse marker that signals the speaker's refusal to engage in speculative commitment, effectively shifting the burden of prediction back to the inherent volatility of the context. Its usage is deeply rooted in the cultural preference for 'bù què dìng xìng' (uncertainty) as a defensive rhetorical strategy.

Meaning

Indicates uncertainty about a situation or outcome, difficult to predict.

🌍

Cultural Background

Used frequently in casual social settings to avoid being too direct.

💡

Use it to be safe

When you don't know the answer, this phrase makes you sound like a native speaker.

Meaning

Indicates uncertainty about a situation or outcome, difficult to predict.

💡

Use it to be safe

When you don't know the answer, this phrase makes you sound like a native speaker.

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct phrase.

A: 明天会下雨吗？ B: _________

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 难说得很

The question asks for a prediction, and '难说得很' is the appropriate response for uncertainty.

🎉 Score: /1

Frequently Asked Questions

1 questions

Only if it's an informal email to a friend.

Related Phrases

🔗

很难说

similar

It's hard to say

Where to Use It

⚽

Sports betting

Fan: 你觉得哪支队会赢？

Friend: 难说得很，两队实力差不多。

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Hard' (难) 'Say' (说) 'Very' (得很) situation: A weather reporter trying to predict a tornado.

Visual Association

Imagine a person standing at a crossroads with five different signs pointing in different directions, shrugging their shoulders.

Story

Xiao Wang asked his friend if the stock market would crash. His friend looked at the screen, sighed, and said '难说得很'. Xiao Wang realized he shouldn't ask for financial advice from friends.

Word Web

很难说说不准不确定未知预测复杂

Challenge

Use the phrase three times today when someone asks you a question about the future.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Es difícil de decir

Chinese uses a degree complement structure.

French high

C'est difficile à dire

French uses a prepositional structure 'à dire'.

German high

Das ist schwer zu sagen

German syntax is more rigid.

Japanese moderate

なんとも言えない

Japanese is more indirect.

Arabic moderate

من الصعب القول

Arabic is more formal.

Chinese high

难说得很

N/A

Korean moderate

말하기 어렵다

Korean is more formal.

Portuguese high

É difícil dizer

Portuguese is slightly more concise.

Easily Confused

难说得很 vs 说不准

Often used interchangeably.

说不准 focuses on accuracy, 难说得很 focuses on difficulty.

FAQ (1)

Only if it's an informal email to a friend.

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