不堪

bùkān

adjective HSK 7-9 #9,585

Meanings

1 unbearable; unable to endure
2 utterly (bad); extremely (negative)

Characters

to bear; to endure

Literally 'cannot bear/endure' — always used with negative connotations.

Examples

他的处境不堪设想。

Tā de chǔjìng bùkānshèxiǎng.

His situation is too terrible to imagine.

那段回忆不堪回首。

Nàduàn huíyì bùkānhuíshǒu.

Those memories are too painful to look back on.

道路不堪，到处都是坑。

Dàolù bùkān, dàochù dōu shì kēng.

The road is in terrible condition, with potholes everywhere.

Tips

usage

不堪 frequently appears in four-character combinations: 不堪设想 (too terrible to imagine), 不堪回首 (too painful to look back on), 不堪入目 (too ugly/shocking to look at), 不堪一击 (can't withstand a single blow = extremely fragile). It's always negative — never used positively.

Stroke Order

不 bù

堪 kān