堪

堪 U+582A, 堪 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-582A ← 堩 [U+5829] CJK Unified Ideographs 堫 → [U+582B]

Translingual

Han character

堪 (Kangxi radical 32, 土+9, 12 strokes, Cangjie input 土廿一女 (GTMV), four-corner 4411₁, composition ⿰土甚)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 233, character 27
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5266
• Dae Jaweon: page 471, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 460, character 1
• Unihan data for U+582A

Chinese

trad.		堪
simp. #		堪
alternative forms		⿰土⿺乚⿱丶丶

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 堪
Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (甚) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
湛	*ʔl'uːm, *r'uːmʔ, *l'um
媅	*ʔl'uːm
黮	*l̥ʰuːmʔ, *l'uːmʔ
糂	*sluːmʔ
堪	*kʰluːm
戡	*kʰluːm, *ʔl'umʔ
嵁	*kʰluːm, *ŋɡluːm, *ŋɡluːmʔ, *sɡruːmʔ, *kʰruːm
歁	*kʰluːmʔ, *kʰluːb
勘	*kʰluːms
磡	*kʰuːms
墈	*kʰuːms
偡	*r'uːmʔ
碪	*ʔl'um
椹	*ʔl'um
揕	*ʔl'ums
踸	*l̥ʰumʔ
鍖	*l̥ʰumʔ
斟	*kljum
諶	*ɡljum
愖	*ɡljum
瘎	*ɡljum
煁	*ɡljum
甚	*ɡljumʔ, *ɡljums
葚	*ɦljumʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kʰluːm) and ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): semantic 土 (“earth”) + phonetic 甚 (OC *ɡljumʔ, *ɡljums, “extreme, profound”) — originally meaning “heavy mountain/earthen protrusion”, it later came to signify the act of “enduring” that earth's weight.

Etymology

Sino-Tibetan; compare Burmese ခံ (hkam, “to receive; to endure”), Jingpho khàm (“to endure”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kān (kan¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ham¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khâm

  (Hailu, HRS): kam^ˋ

• Northern Min (KCR): káng
• Eastern Min (BUC): kăng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kang¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kham

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kam¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹khe / ⁵khe / ¹khoe / ¹khae / ³khaen / ¹khan / ¹kheen / ⁵khi / ¹khie / ¹khoen
  • (Jinhua): ¹khan; ¹khoe

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kān
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kan
    • Wade–Giles: kʻan¹
    • Yale: kān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kan
    • Palladius: кань (kanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰän⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ham¹
    • Yale: hām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ham¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: hem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐm⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khâm
    • Hakka Romanization System: kam^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kam¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰam²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: kam^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰam⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: káng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaŋ⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Jiangkou, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kang¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: kang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaŋ⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou, Youyang, Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kang¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaŋ⁵⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kham
    • Tâi-lô: kham
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qafm
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /kʰam⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰam³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰam⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /kʰam⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰam⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kam¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kham
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰam³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Songjiang, Yixing, Tongxiang, Haining)
    • Wugniu: ¹khe
    • MiniDict: khe^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹khe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰe⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /kʰe⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Yixing): /kʰə⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Tongxiang): /kʰɛ⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Haining): /kʰe⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Chuansha)
    • Wugniu: ⁵khe
    • MiniDict: khe^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²khe
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰe³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Chuansha): /kʰe³⁵/
  • (Northern: Suzhou, Kunshan, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Haining, Haiyan, Deqing)
    • Wugniu: ¹khoe
    • MiniDict: khoe^平
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /kʰø⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kunshan): /kʰø⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /kʰɵ⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /kʰɤə⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Haining): /kʰɤ⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Haiyan): /kʰə⁵¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Deqing): /kʰɤ⁴⁴/
  • (Northern: Xiaoshan, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ¹khae
    • MiniDict: khae^平
    • Sinological IPA (Xiaoshan): /kʰɛ̃⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /kʰɛ⁵²/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ³khaen
    • MiniDict: khaen^上
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /kʰẽ̞⁵³/
  • (Northern: Fuyang)
    • Wugniu: ¹khan
    • Sinological IPA (Fuyang): /kʰã⁵³/
  • (Northern: Shaoxing)
    • Wugniu: ¹kheen
    • MiniDict: khen^平
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /kʰẽ⁵²/
  • (Northern: Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁵khi
    • MiniDict: khi^去
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /kʰi⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Jiading, Chongming)
    • Wugniu: ¹khie
    • MiniDict: khie^平
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /kʰɪ⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /kʰie⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Jingjiang)
    • Wugniu: ¹khoen
    • Sinological IPA (Jingjiang): /kʰũ⁴⁴/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ¹khan; ¹khoe
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /kʰã³³⁴/, /kʰɤ³³⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: khom

Rime
Character	堪
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	覃 (159)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	口含切
Baxter	khom
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰʌm/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰəm/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰɒm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰəm/
Li Rong	/kʰᴀm/
Wang Li	/kʰɒm/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰăm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	kān
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ham1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[kʰ]ˤ[ə]m/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰluːm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	堪
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kān
Middle Chinese	‹ khom ›
Old Chinese	/*[kʰ]ˁ[ə]m/
English	able to bear
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	堪
Reading #	1/1
No.	11271
Phonetic component	甚
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	龕
Old Chinese	/*kʰluːm/

Definitions

堪

1. may; can; to be capable of; to be able to

   • 花開堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tang dynasty, author unknown, traditionally ascribed to Du Qiuniang (杜秋娘), 金縷衣 (jīnlǚyī)

     Huā kāi kān zhé zhíxū zhé, mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī. [Pinyin]

     When flowers bloom and you’re able to do so, pick them immediately: don’t wait until there are none left to only pick twigs.

2. to bear; to stand; to resist; to endure

   不堪一擊／不堪一击  ―  bùkānyījī  ―  cannot withstand a single blow

3. (obsolete) protrusion in the earth
4. Used in transcription.

Compounds

• 七不堪
• 不堪 (bùkān)
• 不堪一擊 / 不堪一击 (bùkānyījī)
• 不堪七
• 不堪之物
• 不堪入目 (bùkānrùmù)
• 不堪入耳 (bùkānrù'ěr)
• 不堪其擾 / 不堪其扰 (bùkānqírǎo)
• 不堪回首 (bùkānhuíshǒu)
• 不堪言狀 / 不堪言状
• 不堪設想 / 不堪设想 (bùkānshèxiǎng)
• 不堪負荷 / 不堪负荷
• 不堪造就
• 不復堪命 / 不复堪命
• 仲堪
• 任堪
• 何堪
• 依瑪堪 / 依玛堪
• 克堪
• 凌亂不堪
• 可堪
• 國不堪貳 / 国不堪贰 (guóbùkān'èr)
• 堪㐨
• 堪可
• 堪坏
• 堪培拉 (Kānpéilā)
• 堪堪
• 堪士
• 堪巖 / 堪岩
• 堪布 (kānbù)
• 堪忍
• 堪憂 / 堪忧 (kānyōu)
• 堪比
• 堪火
• 堪稱 / 堪称 (kānchēng)
• 堪笑
• 堪能 (kānnéng)
• 堪薩 / 堪萨
• 堪薩斯 / 堪萨斯 (Kānsàsī)
• 堪薩斯州 / 堪萨斯州
• 堪虞 (kānyú)
• 堪輿 / 堪舆 (kānyú)
• 堪輿家 / 堪舆家
• 堪達罕 / 堪达罕 (kāndáhǎn)
• 富堪敵國 / 富堪敌国
• 差堪
• 弗堪
• 情何以堪 (qínghéyǐkān)
• 擁擠不堪 / 拥挤不堪
• 斯堪的納維亞 / 斯堪的纳维亚 (Sīkāndínàwéiyà)
• 會堪得 / 会堪得 (ē-kham-tit)
• 民不堪命
• 無堪 / 无堪
• 狼狽不堪 / 狼狈不堪
• 痛不堪忍
• 百無一堪 / 百无一堪
• 石堪子
• 破敗不堪 / 破败不堪
• 破爛不堪 / 破烂不堪 (pòlànbùkān)
• 破舊不堪 / 破旧不堪
• 秀色堪餐
• 自堪
• 苦不堪言 (kǔbùkānyán)
• 誰堪 / 谁堪
• 那堪
• 鄙俗不堪
• 門堪羅雀 / 门堪罗雀
• 門庭冷落，門堪羅雀 / 门庭冷落，门堪罗雀
• 難堪 / 难堪 (nánkān)

References

• “堪”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “堪”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 193.

Japanese

Kanji

堪

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon)
• Kan-on: かん (kan, Jōyō)
• Kan’yō-on: たん (tan)
• Kun: たえる (taeru, 堪える, Jōyō)、こらえる (koraeru, 堪える)、こたえる (kotaeru, 堪える)、たまる (tamaru, 堪る)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
堪
かん Grade: S
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 堪 (MC khom).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kã̠ɴ]

Affix

堪(かん) • (kan) 

1. to bear; to endure
2. capable

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 堪 (MC khom).

Historical readings

• Recorded as Middle Korean 캄 (Yale: kham) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
• Recorded as Middle Korean 감 (kam) (Yale: kam) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ka̠m]
• Phonetic hangul: [감]

Hanja

堪 (eumhun 견딜 감 (gyeondil gam))

1. hanja form^? of 감 (“to endure; to bear”)
2. hanja form^? of 감 (“capable”)

Compounds

• 감내 (堪耐, gamnae, “perseverance”)
• 감능 (堪能, gamneung, “patience, perseverance”)
• 감당 (堪當, gamdang, “coping with; managing”)
• 감인 (堪忍, gamin, “patience, forbearance”)
• 난감 (難堪, nan'gam, “being intolerable; being unbearable; embarrassment”)
• 불감 (不堪, bulgam)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

堪: Hán Nôm readings: kham, khom, khăm

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.