<p>I would translate &quot;It is harder than I/you think&quot;  as 似易實難.</p>
<p>As for  &quot;....than you think&quot;, the literal translation is &quot;比(我)想像中的更....&quot;. I don't think there is a more idiomatic way to say it.</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>这比(我/你)想像中的更早 = earlier than I/ you think</p>
<p>这比(我/你)想像中的更難 = more difficult than I/ you think</p>
<p>这比(我/你)想像中的更差 = worse than I/ you think</p>
<p><em>pronouns in ( ) can be omitted</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-16T09:38:41.387Z
Apparently 知易行難 means "easy to grasp but difficult to put into practice", which is not at all what "it is harder than you think" means. So I think the first part of this answer is wrong/misleading. However the rest of this answer seems to me to be helpful and correct.
goPlayerJuggler
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2021-08-16T14:37:38.193Z
@goPlayerJuggler yes,知易行難 seems off. Changed to  似易實難
Tang Ho
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2021-08-16T07:34:31.847Z
2021-08-17T18:21:13.543Z
2021-08-17T18:21:13.543Z
Tang Ho
<p>The proper translation should be <code>这个比你想象的更难</code>, or <code>这个比你想象的要难</code>(more oral and idiomatic). Skipping <code>的</code> leads to the grammar error of <code>Incomplete object</code>, and by adding <code>的</code> you can change an verb into a noun.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-16T07:29:58.730Z
2021-08-16T07:29:58.730Z
PRO
<p>It seems 這個比你想像的更難 is pretty much what all the three answers agree upon. I'd just like to provide an alternative - 這個比你所想的更難。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-16T13:54:46.360Z
2021-08-16T13:54:46.360Z
joehua
<p>&quot;这个比你想更难&quot;</p>
<p>Well, you are getting there.</p>
<p>A sensible alternative is 比你想像的更难</p>
<p>1st, 这个 is too indefinite. It leaves the sentence &quot;hanging&quot; You'll have to say, for example, 这个任务, (this assignment), 这种工作,（this kind of work), etc.</p>
<p>Coming to 想. Well, just &quot;thinking&quot; alone by itself is &quot;incomplete&quot; because even in English you have to use, &quot;imagine&quot;, &quot;visualize&quot;, &quot;consider&quot;, &quot;picture&quot;, &quot;envisage&quot;, &quot;ponder&quot; to cater for various kinds of &quot;thinking&quot;</p>
<p>Thus in Chinese, in the context of your sentence, you could use 想像, &quot;imagine&quot;, &quot;visualize&quot; as one common option in this kind of situation.</p>
<p>Finally, you need to add 的 before 更难</p>
<p>There are many answers in this Forum on the use of 的. So, do a search.</p>
<p>Reading your question again, you mean to reduce the sentence to the &quot;size&quot;, &quot;to function&quot; like a Chinese Idiom?</p>
<p>In that case, using your own attempt, you could contract it to 比想更难, (Harder than thought), because the other words like 这,个,你, are functionally superfluous.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-16T09:43:27.197Z
It seems clear to me that the OP was not asking about reducing the size of the sentence. IMO OP uses the word "idiomatic" in the sense of "as it would be phrased by native speakers".
goPlayerJuggler
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2021-08-16T11:45:25.433Z
Had I misread OP's question, I of course stand corrected.
Wayne Cheah
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2021-08-16T22:11:23.407Z
Yeah I meant idiomatic as in "as would be phrased by native speakers"
T Hummus
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2021-08-16T07:34:08.473Z
2021-08-16T08:46:49.420Z
2021-08-16T08:46:49.420Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>For example, how would one translate &quot;this is harder than you think&quot;? My initial thought would be something like 这个比你想更难, but I don't know whether that sounds idiomatic in Chinese</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-16T19:47:44.850Z
You should pay attention to @Tang Ho's answer, as "似易實難" is the most idiomatic translation of "it looks easy but actually is harder than you think".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-17T07:04:49.520Z
I agree. But of course normal people don't talk like that in everyday conversations. If you do, some might think you are a Time Traveler from the Song Dynasty :)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-17T09:08:20.723Z
@ Wayne Cheah modern Chinese language mix colloquial, literary, classical, and slang elements together. saying 此事似易實難也 might make you sound like an ancient man, but reducing 這件事看似容易但其實十分困難 to 這件事似易實難 does make your speech more concise. Idioms is a great language tool we use everyday
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-17T12:18:39.430Z
@WayneCheah That (idiomatic translation) was the OP's question, not just a typical "translation".
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-17T13:01:19.603Z
@r13 Yes, that's why I said "I Agree", meaning I agree that it was a good "idiomatic translation" of OP's question which was to seek an idiomatic translation of "this is harder than you think"? I hope I got it right this time. My other comment about a Time Traveler from the Song Dynasty was made in jest, hence the ":)" Lighten up :) Learning Chinese should be fun.
Wayne Cheah
<translation><phrase>
What's the most idiomatic translation of ". . . than you think"?
# What's the most idiomatic translation of ". . . than you think"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-16)

For example, how would one translate "this is harder than you think"? My initial thought would be something like 这个比你想更难, but I don't know whether that sounds idiomatic in Chinese

**Tags:** translation, phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You should pay attention to @username_3's answer, as "似易實難" is the most idiomatic translation of "it looks easy but actually is harder than you think".  
> **username_2**: I agree. But of course normal people don't talk like that in everyday conversations. If you do, some might think you are a Time Traveler from the Song Dynasty :)  
> **username_3**: @ username_2 modern Chinese language mix colloquial, literary, classical, and slang elements together. saying 此事似易實難也 might make you sound like an ancient man, but reducing 這件事看似容易但其實十分困難 to 這件事似易實難 does make your speech more concise. Idioms is a great language tool we use everyday  
> **username_1**: @WayneCheah That (idiomatic translation) was the OP's question, not just a typical "translation".  
> **username_2**: @username_1 Yes, that's why I said "I Agree", meaning I agree that it was a good "idiomatic translation" of OP's question which was to seek an idiomatic translation of "this is harder than you think"? I hope I got it right this time. My other comment about a Time Traveler from the Song Dynasty was made in jest, hence the ":)" Lighten up :) Learning Chinese should be fun.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-08-16. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

I would translate "It is harder than I/you think" as 似易實難.

As for "....than you think", the literal translation is "比(我)想像中的更....". I don't think there is a more idiomatic way to say it.

Example:

这比(我/你)想像中的更早 = earlier than I/ you think

这比(我/你)想像中的更難 = more difficult than I/ you think

这比(我/你)想像中的更差 = worse than I/ you think

*pronouns in ( ) can be omitted*

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Apparently 知易行難 means "easy to grasp but difficult to put into practice", which is not at all what "it is harder than you think" means. So I think the first part of this answer is wrong/misleading. However the rest of this answer seems to me to be helpful and correct.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 yes,知易行難 seems off. Changed to  似易實難  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-08-16. Score: 4

The proper translation should be `这个比你想象的更难`, or `这个比你想象的要难`(more oral and idiomatic). Skipping `的` leads to the grammar error of `Incomplete object`, and by adding `的` you can change an verb into a noun.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2021-08-16. Score: 1

It seems 這個比你想像的更難 is pretty much what all the three answers agree upon. I'd just like to provide an alternative - 這個比你所想的更難。


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-08-16. Score: 1

"这个比你想更难"

Well, you are getting there.

A sensible alternative is 比你想像的更难

1st, 这个 is too indefinite. It leaves the sentence "hanging" You'll have to say, for example, 这个任务, (this assignment), 这种工作,（this kind of work), etc.

Coming to 想. Well, just "thinking" alone by itself is "incomplete" because even in English you have to use, "imagine", "visualize", "consider", "picture", "envisage", "ponder" to cater for various kinds of "thinking"

Thus in Chinese, in the context of your sentence, you could use 想像, "imagine", "visualize" as one common option in this kind of situation.

Finally, you need to add 的 before 更难

There are many answers in this Forum on the use of 的. So, do a search.

Reading your question again, you mean to reduce the sentence to the "size", "to function" like a Chinese Idiom?

In that case, using your own attempt, you could contract it to 比想更难, (Harder than thought), because the other words like 这,个,你, are functionally superfluous.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: It seems clear to me that the OP was not asking about reducing the size of the sentence. IMO OP uses the word "idiomatic" in the sense of "as it would be phrased by native speakers".  
> **username_2**: Had I misread OP's question, I of course stand corrected.  
> **username_0**: Yeah I meant idiomatic as in "as would be phrased by native speakers"  

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