坑

See also: 阬

坑 U+5751, 坑 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5751 ← 坐 [U+5750] CJK Unified Ideographs 坒 → [U+5752]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

坑 (Kangxi radical 32, 土+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 土卜竹弓 (GYHN), four-corner 4011₇, composition ⿰土亢)

Derived characters

• 𡷲

Further reading

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 226, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4932
• Dae Jaweon: page 460, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 426, character 9
• Unihan data for U+5751

Chinese

simp. and trad.		坑
alternative forms		阬 坈 ancient

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 坑
Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Qin slip script	Small seal script

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

	Old Chinese
笐	*kaːŋ, *ɡaːŋs
亢	*kaːŋ, *kʰaːŋs
牨	*kaːŋ
苀	*kaːŋ, *ɡaːŋ
魧	*kaːŋ, *ɡaːŋ
迒	*kaːŋ, *ɡaːŋ
邟	*kʰaːŋ, *kʰaːŋs, *ɡaːŋ
忼	*kʰaːŋʔ, *qʰaːŋ
骯	*kʰaːŋʔ, *ɡaːŋʔ, *qaːŋ
抗	*kʰaːŋs, *ɡaːŋ
炕	*kʰaːŋs, *qʰaːŋ
伉	*kʰaːŋs
閌	*kʰaːŋs
犺	*kʰaːŋs
蚢	*kʰaːŋs, *ɡaːŋ, *ɡaːŋʔ
砊	*kʰaːŋs, *kʰraːŋ
阬	*kʰaːŋs, *kʰraːŋ
頏	*kʰaːŋs, *ɡaːŋ
航	*ɡaːŋ
杭	*ɡaːŋ
沆	*ɡaːŋ, *ɡaːŋʔ
肮	*ɡaːŋ
吭	*ɡaːŋ, *ɡaːŋʔ, *ɡaːŋs
秔	*kraːŋ
坑	*kʰraːŋ
劥	*kʰraːŋ

In its current form, a phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kʰraːŋ) : phonetic 亢 (OC *kaːŋ, *kʰaːŋs) + semantic 土 (“soil”). Early forms appear to be 阬.

Etymology 1

Possibly related to 空 (OC *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs, “empty; space; air”), though the function of the *-r- in the Old Chinese reconstruction is unclear and its presence thus problematic (STEDT).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kēng (keng¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄥ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): haang¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): hang¹ / hang⁴

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): hâng

  (Meixian, Guangdong): hang¹

• Northern Min (KCR): káng
• Eastern Min (BUC): kăng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khiⁿ / kheⁿ / kheng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kên¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹khan; ¹khaon

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kēng
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: keng
    • Wade–Giles: kʻêng¹
    • Yale: kēng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: keng
    • Palladius: кэн (kɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤŋ⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (坑兒 / 坑儿)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kēngr
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄥㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kengr
    • Wade–Giles: kʻêng¹-ʼrh
    • Yale: kēngr
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kengl
    • Palladius: кэнр (kɛnr)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ̃ɻ⁵⁵/

Note:

• kēngr - “pit; hollow”.

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: haang¹
    • Yale: hāang
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: hang¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: hang¹ / hang⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haŋ³³/, /haŋ²¹/

Note: hang4 - “ravine”.

• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hâng
    • Hakka Romanization System: hang^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: hang¹
    • Sinological IPA: /haŋ²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: hang¹
    • Sinological IPA: /haŋ⁴⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: káng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Sanxia, Hsinchu, Lukang, Magong)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: khinn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qvy
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Lukang): /kʰĩ³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /kʰĩ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kheⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: khenn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qvef
    • IPA (Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /kʰẽ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰɛ̃⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kheng
    • Tâi-lô: khing
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qefng
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kʰiɪŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰiɪŋ³³/

Note:

• khiⁿ/kheⁿ - vernacular;
• kheng - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: kên¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kheⁿ
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰẽ³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹khan; ¹khaon
    • MiniDict: khan^平; khaon^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹khan; ¹khaan
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰã⁵³/, /kʰɑ̃⁵³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 坑
Mandarin	Beijing	/kʰəŋ⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/kʰəŋ⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/kʰəŋ²¹/
	Jinan	/kʰəŋ²¹³/
	Qingdao	/kʰəŋ²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/kʰəŋ²⁴/
	Xi'an	/kʰəŋ²¹/
	Xining	/kʰə̃⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/kʰəŋ⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/kʰə̃n³¹/
	Ürümqi	/kʰɤŋ⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/kʰən⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/kʰən⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/kʰen⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/kʰə⁴⁴̃/
	Nanjing	/kʰən³¹/
	Hefei	/kʰən²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/kʰəŋ¹¹/
	Pingyao	/kʰəŋ¹³/
	Hohhot	/kʰə̃ŋ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/kʰɑ̃⁵³/
	Suzhou	/kʰã⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/kʰen³³/
	Wenzhou	/kʰiɛ³³/
Hui	Shexian	/kʰʌ̃³¹/ /kʰɛ³¹/
	Tunxi	/kʰɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/kʰən³³/
	Xiangtan	/kʰən³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/kʰɑŋ⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/haŋ⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/hɑŋ²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/haŋ⁵³/
	Nanning	/haŋ⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/haŋ⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kʰiŋ⁵⁵/ /kʰĩ⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kʰaŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kʰaŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kʰẽ³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/xaŋ³⁵/ /xaŋ³¹/ 俗

---

• Middle Chinese: khaeng

Rime
Character	坑
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	庚 (109)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	客庚切
Baxter	khaeng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰˠæŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰᵚaŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰaŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰaɨjŋ/
Li Rong	/kʰɐŋ/
Wang Li	/kʰɐŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰɐŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	kēng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	hang1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰraːŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	坑
Reading #	1/1
No.	7399
Phonetic component	亢
Rime group	陽
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	阬
Old Chinese	/*kʰraːŋ/
Notes	同阬見莊子

Definitions

坑

1. pit; hole (Classifier: 個／个 m c)

   泥坑  ―  níkēng  ―  mud pit

   隕石坑／陨石坑  ―  yǔnshí kēng  ―  meteorite crater

2. tunnel

   礦坑／矿坑  ―  kuàngkēng  ―  mining pit; mine shaft

3. (dialectal, including Cantonese) ditch; trench (Classifier: 條／条 c)
4. (dialectal, including Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien, Taishanese) valley; gully; ravine
5. (Hakka) small stream; creek; brook (Classifier: 條／条 h)
6. (figurative) trap
7. (by extension, neologism, Internet slang) fandom; media franchise

   入坑  ―  rùkēng  ―  to get into a fandom

8. (literary) to bury alive

   焚書坑儒／焚书坑儒  ―  fénshūkēngrú  ―  to burn books and bury Confucian scholars alive

9. to entrap; to cheat

Synonyms

• (pit): (dialectal) 潭 (tán)
• (to entrap):

edit

• 坑害 (kēnghài)
• 構陷 / 构陷 (gòuxiàn)
• 陷 (xiàn) (literary, or in compounds)
• 陷害 (xiànhài)

 

Compounds

• 入坑 (rùkēng)
• 古坑 (Gǔkēng)
• 坑井
• 坑人
• 坑園 / 坑园 (Kēngyuán)
• 坑坑坎坎
• 坑子
• 坑害 (kēnghài)
• 坑木 (kēngmù)
• 坑洼 (kēngwā)
• 坑渠
• 坑蒙
• 坑蒙拐騙 / 坑蒙拐骗 (kēngmēngguǎipiàn)
• 坑道 (kēngdào)
• 坑騙 / 坑骗
• 填坑 (tiánkēng)
• 屎坑
• 挖坑 (wākēng)
• 東坑 / 东坑 (Dōngkēng)
• 栗木坑 (Lìmùkēng)
• 棄坑 / 弃坑 (qìkēng)
• 深坑 (shēnkēng)
• 退坑 (tuìkēng)
• 長坑 / 长坑
• 開坑 / 开坑 (kāikēng)
• 陷坑 (xiànkēng)
• 饢坑 / 馕坑 (nángkēng)

 

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “from Mandarin 漢?”)

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): haang¹

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: haang¹
    • Yale: hāang
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: hang¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːŋ⁵⁵/

Definitions

坑

1. (Cantonese, in compounds) man

Compounds

• 中坑
• 老坑
• 老坑公
• 老坑婆

 

Japanese

Kanji

坑

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: きょう (kyō)^{←きやう (kyau, historical)}
• Kan-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)^{←かう (kau, historical)}
• Kun: あな (ana, 坑)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
坑
こう Grade: S
on'yomi

Noun

坑(こう) • (kō) 

1. pit, usually of a mine

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 坑 (MC khaeng).

Historical readings

• Recorded as Middle Korean ᄏᆡᇰ (Yale: khoyng) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
• Recorded as Middle Korean ᄀᆡᇰ (koyng) (Yale: koyng) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kɛŋ] ~ [ke̞ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [갱/겡]

Hanja

Wikisource

坑 (eumhun 구덩이 갱 (gudeong'i gaeng))

1. hanja form^? of 갱 (“pit”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 갱도 (坑道, gaengdo)
• 갱구 (坑口, gaenggu)
• 갱목 (坑木, gaengmok)
• 탄갱 (炭坑, tan'gaeng)
• 갱외 (坑外, gaeng'oe)
• 분서갱유 (焚書坑儒, bunseogaeng'yu)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

坑: Hán Việt readings: khanh, khâng, khuâng
坑: Nôm readings: khanh, ganh

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