坷 meaning and stroke order
Uneven, bumpy; a clod of earth; a lump of soil
How to write 坷, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 坷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 坷垃[ke1 la1]
- used in 坎坷[kan3 ke3]
How 坷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning and 可 hints at the sound.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 坷
坷 combines 土 (earth) with 可 (kě), which gives the sound. Picture ground full of lumps of earth, so the road is bumpy.
坷 almost never appears alone. It mostly shows up in 坎坷 (kǎnkě), which describes a bumpy road or, more often, a hard life full of setbacks. Example: 他的一生很坎坷。(Tā de yìshēng hěn kǎnkě.) His life was full of hardships.
Common mistake: Learners often write 柯 (kē, with the wood radical 木) or 珂 instead of 坷. In 坎坷 both characters take the earth radical 土, which matches the idea of rough ground.
Common words with 坷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 坎坷 | kǎnkě | (of a road) bumpy; (of life) rough; to be down on one's luck; to be full of frustrations a |
Questions about 坷
How many strokes are in 坷?
坷 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 坷 mean?
坷 (kě) means uneven, bumpy; a clod of earth; a lump of soil. A common word with it is 坎坷 (kǎnkě), meaning "(of a road) bumpy; (of life) rough; to be down on one's luck; to be full of frustrations a".
How do you pronounce 坷?
坷 is pronounced kě, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 坷?
The radical of 坷 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 坷 under this radical.
Why does 坷 have two pronunciations, kě and kē?
It is read kě in 坎坷 (kǎnkě) and kē in 坷垃 (kēla), a colloquial word for a clod of earth. In 坷垃 it is usually pronounced kēla, with a neutral tone on the second syllable.
Can 坎坷 describe things other than roads?
Yes. It is commonly used for life, careers, or experiences that are full of difficulties, such as 坎坷的经历 (kǎnkě de jīnglì), a rough experience. The literal road meaning is less common in everyday speech.