堪 meaning and stroke order
To endure; adequate, capable, worthy
How to write 堪, stroke by stroke
12 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 堪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) may; can
- (bound form) to endure; to bear
- (in 堪輿|堪舆[kan1 yu2]) heaven (contrasted with earth 輿|舆[yu2])
How 堪 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. One with a considerable amount 甚 of land 土.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 堪
堪 is made of 土 (tǔ, earth) on the left and 甚 (shèn, very much) on the right. Picture someone with a great deal of land 土: they are well able to bear burdens, so 堪 means capable of enduring.
堪 is almost never used alone in modern speech. It appears in set words like 不堪 (bùkān, cannot bear), 难堪 (nánkān, embarrassed) and 堪称 (kānchēng, can be called). Example: 他累得疲惫不堪。(Tā lèi de píbèi bùkān.) He is utterly exhausted.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 堪 with 勘 (kān, to survey), as in 勘探 (kāntàn, to prospect). They sound the same, but 勘 has 力 on the right while 堪 has 土 on the left.
Common words with 堪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 难堪 | nánkān | hard to take; embarrassed | HSK 7-9 |
| 不堪 | bùkān | cannot bear; cannot stand | HSK 7-9 |
| 堪称 | kānchēng | can be rated as; can be said to be | HSK 7-9 |
| 疲惫不堪 | píbèi-bùkān | exhausted; fatigued to the extreme | HSK 7-9 |
| 不堪一击 | bùkānyījī | (idiom) unable to withstand a single blow; to collapse at the first blow | |
| 不堪设想 | bùkānshèxiǎng | too horrible to contemplate; unthinkable | |
| 苦不堪言 | kǔbùkānyán | to suffer unspeakable misery; indescribably painful |
堪 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 堪
How many strokes are in 堪?
堪 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 堪 mean?
堪 (kān) means to endure; adequate, capable, worthy. A common word with it is 难堪 (nánkān), meaning "hard to take; embarrassed".
How do you pronounce 堪?
堪 is pronounced kān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 堪?
The radical of 堪 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 堪 under this radical.
Is 堪 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 堪 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 不堪 mean when it comes after an adjective?
After an adjective, 不堪 works as an intensifier meaning "extremely" or "to an unbearable degree", usually with a negative sense. For example, 破旧不堪 (pòjiù bùkān) means extremely run down.
How is 堪称 used in a sentence?
堪称 means "can rightly be called" and is followed by a noun phrase of praise. For example, 这座桥堪称奇迹 (zhè zuò qiáo kānchēng qíjì) means this bridge can truly be called a miracle. It sounds formal and is common in writing.