How to say "Difficult" in Japanese

When translating "difficult" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 難しい and 難航. In Japanese, 難しい (むずかしい (muzukashii)) is typically associated with "difficult, hard" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents An i-adjective used to describe tasks, problems, or subjects that require a lot of effort or understanding.. On the other hand, 難航 (なんこう (nankou)) maps to "difficult navigation, rough passage; making slow progress, encountering difficulties (of negotiations, projects)" (Syllabus Level: N1) and represents Literally meaning 'difficult navigation' for ships, it is commonly used metaphorically for projects, negotiations, or processes that are making slow or difficult progress due to various obstacles and challenges.. A literal translation of "difficult" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!