硬骨头

硬骨頭
yìnggǔtou
idiom #31,257

Meanings

  1. 1 a tough, unyielding person; someone who won't bend under pressure
  2. 2 a tough nut to crack; a hard task

Examples

Tā shì ge yìnggǔtou, zài kǔ yě bú huì jiào yì shēng.
He's a tough one — no matter how bad it gets, he won't complain.
Zhè ge xiàngmù shì kuài yìnggǔtou, děi mànmàn kěn.
This project is a hard nut to crack — we'll have to chew at it slowly.

Tips

usage
Works for people and tasks. For people it's admiring — unbreakable spirit. For tasks it's the one you (gnaw at) because it won't yield easily. Often used with as a measure word for the task sense.

Stroke Order

yìng
tóu