很难说

很難說
hěnnánshuō
phrase HSK 6 #6,304

Meanings

  1. 1 hard to say
  2. 2 difficult to tell
  3. 3 it's uncertain

Examples

Míngtiān huì bú huì xiàyǔ? Hěn nán shuō.
Will it rain tomorrow? Hard to say.
Zhè jiàn shì de jiéguǒ hěn nán shuō.
The outcome of this matter is hard to tell.
Tā dàodǐ shì hǎo rén háishì huài rén, hěn nán shuō.
Whether he's a good person or bad person is hard to say.
Shéi huì yíng? Zhè hěn nán shuō.
Who will win? That's hard to say.
Wèilái de shìqing hěn nán shuō.
Things in the future are hard to predict.

Tips

grammar
很难说 follows the pattern + verb, meaning 'hard to [verb].' Other examples: (hard to do), 难懂 (hard to understand), (hard to find).
usage
很难说 is a polite way to express uncertainty or to avoid giving a direct opinion. It's commonly used as a standalone reply to dodge a question.
register
Very natural in both spoken and written Chinese. In more formal contexts, you might hear 难以断言 (nán yǐ duànyán) instead.

Stroke Order

hěn
nán
shuō