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坎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
坎kǎnpit, hole; to trap, to snare; crisisHSK 7, nrt, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #9731, Hard
坎kǎnthresholdHSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #9731, Hard
坎kǎnone of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing waterHSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #9731, Hard
坎kǎn☵HSK 7, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 土, rank #9731, Hard
kǎn(kan3) T3
  1. 1pit, hole; to trap, to snare; crisis
  2. 2threshold
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

坎kǎn(kan3)

The character 坎 (kǎn) primarily refers to a pit or hole, often symbolizing a state of being trapped or ensnared. It can also denote a crisis or threshold, representing challenges one may face. In the context of the Eight Trigrams, it symbolizes water and the concept of depth and danger.

Strokes7Radical土Frequency#9731DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese philosophy, 坎 is one of the Eight Trigrams used in the I Ching (易经), which plays a significant role in traditional Chinese thought, fortune-telling, and decision-making.

Memory Tip

Imagine a deep pit (坎) that traps you inside. The top part '土' (earth) represents the ground, while the bottom part '艮' (gen) suggests a boundary or limit, evoking the feeling of being stuck. The pronunciation 'kǎn' can be remembered by picturing a can of water that has fallen into this pit.

Meanings of 坎

kǎn(kan3)
1pit, hole; to trap, to snare; crisis
2threshold
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 坎

坎Simplified
7Strokes
土Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 坎

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Podcast: 坎

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AI Study Notes for 坎

Quick Contrast

坎 (kǎn) vs 陷 (xiàn) — use 坎 for a pit or hole, while 陷 refers to being trapped in a more figurative sense.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a deep pit (坎) that traps you inside. The top part '土' (earth) represents the ground, while the bottom part '艮' (gen) suggests a boundary or limit, evoking the feeling of being stuck. The pronunciation 'kǎn' can be remembered by picturing a can of water that has fallen into this pit.

Usage Notes

Avoid confusing 坎 (kǎn) with similar characters like 坐 (zuò), which means 'to sit.' This word is often used in formal contexts, especially in discussions about philosophy or the I Ching (易经). Be mindful of the third tone in pronunciation, as it can easily be mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

While 坎 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it offers a good opportunity to connect with characters related to water or crisis. Students should focus on recognizing its use in literary and philosophical texts, as well as its relationship to the Eight Trigrams.

Cultural Note

In Chinese philosophy, 坎 is one of the Eight Trigrams used in the I Ching (易经), which plays a significant role in traditional Chinese thought, fortune-telling, and decision-making.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 坎 (kǎn) with the character 砍 (kǎn), which means 'to cut.' Another mistake is mispronouncing it as first or second tone instead of the correct third tone.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 坎

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Etymology of 坎

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 欠 represents the sound. Simplified form of 埳.

Memory Hint

earth

Semantic (meaning)土
+
Phonetic (sound)欠
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 坎?

Decomposition of 坎

IDS Structure⿰土欠
坎Full Character
=
土Tu3
left
欠qian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 坎?

Write 坎

坎

Practice writing 坎 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 坎

坎 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

____贝尔公司的总裁退休后，麦戈文被选定为继任者。

When the chairman of Campbell's retired, McGovern was named as his successor.

Example Sentences for 坎 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
坎贝尔公司的总裁退休后，麦戈文被选定为继任者。

kǎn bèi ěr gōng sī de zǒng cái tuì xiū hòu， ， mài gē wén bèi xuǎn dìng wéi jì rèn。

When the chairman of Campbell's retired, McGovern was named as his successor.
2
租约到期后，这家人搬到了坎皮格尼。

zū yuē dào qī hòu， ， zhè jiā rén bān dào le kǎn pí gé。

When the lease ran out the family moved to Campigny.
3
这位长腿美女不是别人，正是咱们的娜奥米·坎贝尔。

zhè wèi cháng tuǐ měi nǚ bù shì bié rén， ， zhèng shì zán mén de nà ào· mǐ · kǎn。

The leggy beauty was none other than our own Naomi Campbell.
4
布坎南说法官的那番话侮辱了他。

bù kǎn nán shuō fǎ guān de nà fān huà wǔ rǔ le tā。

Buchanan said he was insulted by the judge's remarks.
5
他一直是她曲折坎坷的生活中的主心骨。

tā yī zhí shì tā qū zhē kǎn kē de shēng huó zhōng de zhǔ xīn gǔ。

He had been a rock in the shifting sands of her existence.
6
那儿离朝圣之路与通往坎佩尔的道路的交叉路口很近。

nà ér lí zhāo shèng zhī lù yǔ tōng wǎng kǎn pèi ěr de dào lù de jiāo chā lù kǒu hěn jìn。

It is near where the pilgrimage route crosses the road to Quimper.
7
挨打前坎坦科的视力就一直很弱，不过也还勉强看得见。

āi dǎ qián kǎn tǎn kē de shì lì jiù yī zhí hěn ruò， ， bù guò yě huán miǎn qiáng kàn dé。

Until the beating, Cantanco's eyesight had been weak, but adequate.
8
埃里克·坎通纳抓住机会踢进绝妙的一球，锁定了比赛的胜局。

āi lǐ kè· · kǎn tōng nà zhuā zhù jī huì tī jìn jué miào de yī， qiú ， suǒ dìng le bǐ sài de。

Eric Cantona made the game safe with a brilliant opportunist goal.
9
她又重返大银幕，扮演坎迪专横的母亲罗丝。

tā yòu zhòng fǎn dà yín mù， ， bàn yǎn kǎn dí zhuān héng de mǔ qīn luó。

She returns to the big screen to play Candy's overbearing mother, Rose.
10
在最后的几秒钟，甘恩队的守门员凯文·坎特维尔扑出了两次射门。

zài zuì hòu de jī miǎo zhōng， ， gān ēn duì de shǒu mén yuán kǎi· wén · kǎn tè wéi ěr pū chū le liǎng cì。

In the final seconds, Gunn goalie Kevin Cantwell blocked two shots.

Cultural Notes for 坎

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese philosophy, 坎 is one of the Eight Trigrams used in the I Ching (易经), which plays a significant role in traditional Chinese thought, fortune-telling, and decision-making.

Word Family of 坎

Words Containing This Character12
坎kǎnpit
坎坷bumpy (of a road)
布坎南Buchanan (surname)
坎贝尔Campbell (name)坎貝爾
心坎bottom of one's heart
坎大哈Kandahar (town in Southern Afghanistan)
坎特伯雷Canterbury
门坎doorstep門坎
坎肩Chinese waistcoat
坎帕拉Kampala, capital of Uganda
坎大哈省Kandahar province of Afghanistan
坎儿井karez, qanat or "horizontal well" (irrigation and water management system used in Xinjiang, Central Asia and Middle East)坎兒井
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 坎 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 坎

In the I Ching, 坎 represents the element of water and often symbolizes danger or a situation that requires careful navigation.