Hard to / enough to (难以/足以)

Structure 难以 / 足以 + disyllabic verb

难以 (nányǐ) and 足以 (zúyǐ) are formal modals built from 以 + a (usually disyllabic) verb. 难以 = "hard to, all but impossible to": 其影响难以估量 = "its impact is hard to gauge". 足以 = "enough to, sufficient to": 这些证据足以定罪 = "this evidence is enough to convict". Against colloquial 很难 + verb, 难以 reads like journalism and essays; and 足以 packs into two syllables what 足够…来… would say with a detour. The cousin 得以 ("to finally manage to") is filed under verbs.

Examples

这zhè场chǎng灾zāi难nàn造zào成chéng的de损sǔn失shī难nán以yǐ估gū量liáng。
The losses caused by this disaster are hard to gauge.
现xiàn有yǒu的de证zhèng据jù足zú以yǐ证zhèng明míng他tā的de清qīng白bái。
The existing evidence is enough to prove his innocence.
他tā内nèi心xīn的de痛tòng苦kǔ难nán以yǐ用yòng语yǔ言yán形xíng容róng。
The pain he carries inside is hard to put into words.
这zhè点diǎn收shōu入rù不bù足zú以yǐ维wéi持chí一yī家jiā人rén的de生shēng活huó。
This bit of income is not enough to support the whole family.

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