阬 (kēng) - pit & hole

阬Tone 1

kēng ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 阝

俊梁

阬 · kēng

pit;

hole;

ditch;

trap;

also used historically to refer to mass graves or sites of mass executions.

pitholeditch

Usage highlights

pit trapdeep pitditchmass gravefire pitsand pit

Synonyms

  • 坑— pit; hole (modern equivalent)
  • 穴— cave; hole
  • 洞— cave; hollow

Antonyms

  • 丘— hill; mound
  • 陵— hill; mound
  • 山— mountain

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He fell into a pit (掉进阬里).
  • They dug a ditch (挖了一个阬).
  • Historical records mention mass graves (坑杀之阬).

Collocations

  • pit trap(陷阬)
  • deep pit(深阬)
  • ditch(沟阬)
  • mass grave(万人阬)
  • fire pit(火阬)
  • sand pit(沙阬)

Idioms

  • Fill valleys and level pits(填谷平阬)
  • Pits and valleys(阬谷)
  • Pit of fire and sword(火阬刀阬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with mass execution sites, notably the 'Burial of the 400,000' after the Battle of Changping.
  • Used interchangeably with 坑 in many contexts, though 阬 is the older form.
  • In modern usage, largely superseded by 坑 but appears in historical texts and names.

FAQ