棘手

jíshǒu

adjective HSK 7-9 #5,550

Meanings

1 thorny
2 troublesome
3 difficult to handle

Characters

thorns; brambles

Examples

这是一个很棘手的问题。

Zhè shì yīgè hěn jíshǒu de wèntí.

This is a very thorny problem.

处理这件事让他感到棘手。

Chǔlǐ zhè jiàn shì ràng tā gǎndào jíshǒu.

Handling this matter made him feel it was difficult.

Tips

memory

棘 means thorns/brambles, 手 means hand. Imagine reaching into thorns — a thorny, difficult-to-handle situation. Similar logic to English "thorny issue".

Stroke Order

棘 jí

手 shǒu