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 5
Tā jiā zài liǎng gè péngyǒu zhījiān, zhēnshi zuǒyòu-wéinán.
Caught between two friends, he was truly in a dilemma.
HSK 7-9
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.

Tips

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

Stroke Order

zuǒ
yòu
wéi
nán