How to Write 坷 (kē/kě) — Meaning “uneven; bumpy”

Imagine walking on a bumpy dirt road where you keep saying 'Kě!' (可) because every step is uncomfortable. The left side '土' shows it's about earth, so the whole character means 'uneven ground that makes you cry out in frustration'.

Pay attention to the left side 土: the bottom horizontal stroke should be slightly longer than the top one, and the vertical stroke must cross through the middle. On the right side 可, the mouth (口) should be centered below the horizontal stroke, not floating too high or too low.

Unlike 在 (zài, 'at/be in'), which also has 土 on the left but uses 才 on the right, 坷 uses 可 and means 'uneven' while 在 is a preposition. 圩 (xū or wéi) also has 土 on the left but uses 于 on the right; it means 'dike' or 'market', so the right side is key to distinguish meaning.

坷 rarely appears alone; it is almost always used in the word 坎坷 (kǎnkě), meaning a bumpy road or a difficult life. You might also hear 土坷垃 (tǔ kē lā) for a clod of earth, which is a casual, regional term. The word 坎坷 is common in literature to describe hardship or a person's tough journey.

Common words containing 坷 include: 坎坷 (kǎn kě) — Bumpy; rough; full of frustrations.; 土坷垃 (tǔ kē lā) — Clod of earth; 坷坎 (kě kǎn) — bumpy; rough (road or life).