堪 (kān) — (auxiliary verb) can, may, be capable of

Definition

Literary auxiliary meaning 'can, may, be worthy of' — used in formal/written style (e.g. 堪称, 堪当), not in everyday speech. Distinct from 能 kān (unrelated homophone) and from 能/可以 néng/kěyǐ, which are the neutral everyday modals.

auxiliary verb
canmaybe capable of
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā de zuò pǐn kān chēng jīng diǎn.
    His work can be called a classic.
  • 。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào kān chēng nài yòng.
    This material can be called durable.
  • 堪。
    Tā kān dāng cǐ zhòng rèn.
    He can take on this important task.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
甚
甚shèn堪kān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 土 is earth. The right part 甚 gives the sound and also hints at something extreme, matching the old idea of a heavy earthen protrusion whose weight one bears.

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