坎儿 (kǎn r) — critical juncture; key moment

Definition

A metaphorical 'hump' or low point that must be gotten over — a pivotal, often difficult moment in life or work. It's a colloquial 儿化 form, used in fixed phrases like 关键 or 重要的坎儿.

noun
critical juncturekey moment

Examples

  • 坎儿。
    Zhè ge jué dìng shì tā zhèng zhì shēng yá de yí gè zhòng dà kǎn r.
    This decision was a major critical juncture in his political career.
  • 坎儿，。
    Gōng sī fā zhǎn dào le yí gè xīn de kǎn r, xū yào jǐn shèn jué cè.
    The company's development has reached a new key moment, requiring careful decision-making.
  • 坎儿，。
    Miàn duì rén shēng de zhòng yào kǎn r, tā xuǎn zé le jiān chí.
    Facing an important critical juncture in life, he chose to persevere.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

坎kǎnthreshold/obstacle
儿érerhua

坎儿 builds on 坎, a threshold or obstacle, and 儿 gives it a colloquial feel.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth; soil
Sound part声符shēngfú
欠
欠qiàn坎
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

坎 is made from 土 (earth; soil) plus 欠 as the sound part.

Open 坎 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →

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