(kǎn)

7 strokes

pit

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
kǎn
Meaning
pit; threshold; one of the Eight Trigrams 八卦[ba1 gua4], symbolizing water; ☵
Strokes
7
HSK level
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿰土欠

In this compound, the meaning comes from (earth); supplies the sound.

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write step by step

7 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7

Words with

Common words using — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

kǎn

earthen levee

Open 土坎 page →
kǎnér

critical juncture; key moment

Open 坎儿 page →
kǎnkǎn

(dialect) just now

Open 坎坎 page →
kǎn

(of a road) bumpy; (of life) rough; to be down on one's luck; to be full of frustration…

Open 坎坷 page →

potholed and bumpy road (idiom); fig. full of disappointment and dashed hopes

Open 坎坷不平 page →

Kandahar (town in Southern Afghanistan)

Open 坎大哈 page →

Kandahar province of Afghanistan

Open 坎大哈省 page →

Kampala, capital of Uganda

Open 坎帕拉 page →

Related characters

Ready to master 坎?

Trace 坎 stroke by stroke in the online practice tool, or turn it into a printable worksheet PDF with Tianzige practice grids, pinyin, and stroke-order breakdowns.