坎坷 kǎnkě bumpy
(of a road) bumpy; (of life) rough; to be down on one's luck; to be full of frustrations and dashed hopes
How to remember 坎坷: 坎 pit + 坷 uneven = bumpy.
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How it is used
- Bumpy, and figuratively rough/full of setbacks - 道路坎坷 (dàolù kǎnkě) a rough road; 命运坎坷 (mìngyùn kǎnkě) a hard-luck life.
- The figurative sense - a life full of frustrations - is the most common. Literary/written.