攻坚克难
gōng jiān kè nán
to tackle the hardest problems head-on
Character by character
攻gōng
storm
storm
坚jiān
stronghold
stronghold
克kè
overcome
overcome
难nán
difficulty
difficulty
Example
项目组攻坚克难，比原计划提前一个月完成了任务。
The project team took on the toughest problems and finished a month ahead of schedule.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
攻坚 is storming a fortified position; 攻坚战 now means any big, hard campaign (脱贫攻坚). Mostly official and news language: 攻坚克难的精神. In conversation people say 啃硬骨头, gnaw the hard bones.
Learn this in Lesson 116 · HSK 7–9: 深中通道通车 (The Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link opens)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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