左右为难

左右為難
zuǒyòu-wéinán
idiom #20,419

Meanings

  1. 1 in a dilemma
  2. 2 torn between two choices
  3. 3 damned if you do, damned if you don't

Examples

HSK 4
Zhè dào xuǎnzétí ràngwǒ zuǒyòu-wéinán, bùzhī dào gāi xuǎn nǎge.
This multiple-choice question left me torn - I had no idea which to pick.
HSK 7-9
Tā jiā zài liǎng gè péngyou zhījiān, zhēnshi zuǒyòu-wéinán.
Caught between two friends, he was truly in a dilemma.

Tips

memory
Literally 'left and right both difficult': whichever way you turn - left (左) or right (右) - you face hardship (难). Picture someone stuck at a crossroads, unable to move in either direction.

Stroke Order

左 zuǒ
右 yòu
为 wéi
难 nán