Chinese word

坑

Pronunciation

Pinyinkēng

Meaning

  • nounpit

Example

雨后地上出现了很多坑。yǔ hòu dì shàng chū xiàn le hěn duō kēng

After the rain, many pits appeared on the ground.

Illustration for 坑 (pit)

More examples

小孩玩耍时不小心掉进了一个坑。xiǎo hái wán shuǎ shí bù xiǎo xīn diào jìn le yí gè kēng

A child accidentally fell into a pit while playing.

Core concept

An empty dip in the ground or another surface, viewed figuratively as a place where someone can fall into trouble.

Common phrases

  • 踩到坑cǎi dào kēng

    step into a pit

  • 掉进坑diào jìn kēng

    fall into a pit

Similar words

洞dòng: A relatively large hole or hollow space in the ground or another object.
陷阱xiàn jǐng: A trap made to deceive people or animals and cause them trouble.
窟窿kū lóng: A small, noticeable hole or a mark left where something has fallen out.

Definition in Chinese

表面或内部的洞穴或凹处，既可指天然或人工形成的坑洞，也可在口语中指通过手段使人陷入不利或吃亏。biǎo miàn huò nèi bù de dòng xué huò āo chù jì kě zhǐ tiān rán huò rén gōng xíng chéng de kēng dòng yě kě zài kóu yǔ zhōng zhǐ tōng guò shǒu duàn shǐ rén xiàn rù bú lì huò chī kuī

Word origin

The character 坑 (kēng, "pit") combines 土 (tǔ, "earth"), which indicates a ground feature, with 亢 (kàng, "high"), which indicates its pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • The word is common in spoken and online complaints about small losses or poor purchases, while formal reports usually use more specific wording.

Other meanings

  • trickverb

Related words

  • 坑洼kēng wāpotholenoun

Word lists with this word