Dictionary › 堪

堪

kān

HSK 6 Character

What 堪 means

1. bound formmay; can
2. bound formto endure; to bear
3. (in {堪舆|kān yú}) heaven (contrasted with earth {舆|yú})

Example sentences

• 她的衣服破旧不堪。
  Tā de yīfu pòjiù bù kān.
  Her clothes are worn out.
• 我没想要让你难堪。
  I didn't mean to embarrass you.
• 我们还是脆弱不堪。
  We're still vulnerable.
• 她的演技堪比专业人士。
  Tā de yǎnjì kān bǐ zhuānyèrénshì.
  Her acting is on the level of a professional.
• 堪萨斯州刚好位于美国的中央。
  Kansas is smack dab in the middle of the US.
• 出师一表真名世，千载谁堪伯仲间！
  The Memorial To The Emperor upon his campaign truly established his renown for all time; Who, in a thousand years, could stand shoulder to shoulder with it?

Words starting with 堪

• 堪称kān chēngcan be rated as; can be said to be
• 堪忧kān yōuworrying; bleak
• 堪比kān bǐto be comparable to
• 堪培拉Kān péi lāCanberra, capital of Australia
• 堪察加Kān chá jiāKamchatka (peninsula in far eastern Russia)
• 堪萨斯Kān sà sīKansas, US state
• 堪察加半岛Kān chá jiā Bàn dǎoKamchatka Peninsula, far-eastern Russia
• 堪舆kān yúgeomancy
• 堪虞kān yúworrisome; precarious; to be at risk
• 堪察加柳莺Kān chá jiā liǔ yīng(bird species of China) Kamchatka leaf warbler (Phylloscopus examinandus)

Words containing 堪

• 不堪bù kāncannot bear; cannot stand; utterly
• 难堪nán kānhard to take; embarrassed
• 疲惫不堪pí bèi bù kānexhausted; fatigued to the extreme
• 不堪设想bù kān shè xiǎngtoo horrible to contemplate; unthinkable; inconceivable
• 不堪一击bù kān yī jī(idiom) unable to withstand a single blow; to collapse at the first blow
• 苦不堪言kǔ bù kān yánto suffer unspeakable misery; indescribably painful; hellish
• 拥挤不堪yōng jǐ bù kānovercrowded; jam-packed
• 狼狈不堪láng bèi bù kānbattered and exhausted; stuck in a dilemma
• 不堪入目bù kān rù mùunbearable to look at; an eyesore
• 可堪kě kānhow can one endure?; to be able to endure
• 不堪忍受bù kān rěn shòuunbearable
• 凌乱不堪líng luàn bù kānin a terrible mess (idiom)
• 情何以堪qíng hé yǐ kānhow can this be endured! (idiom)
• 破败不堪pò bài bù kāncrushed; utterly defeated
• 斯堪地纳维亚Sī kān dì nà wéi yàScandinavia (Tw)
• 斯堪的纳维亚Sī kān dì nà wéi yàScandinavia

Characters built on 甚

These share the phonetic component 甚 (shèn), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 勘kānto investigate; to survey; to collate
• 湛zhàndeep; clear (water)
• 戡kānkill; suppress

Characters that look like 堪

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 瑞ruìlucky; auspicious; propitious
• 幅fúwidth; roll; classifier for textiles or pictures
• 瑙nǎoused in 玛瑙
• 搐chùto twitch; to have a spasm
• 堰yànweir
• 瑛yīng(literary) translucent stone similar to jade; (literary) luster of jade

Sounds the same

Read kān, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 刊to print; to publish; publication
• 勘to investigate; to survey; to collate
• 龛(bound form) niche; shrine
• 看to look after; to take care of; to watch
• 戡kill; suppress