Dictionary › 可以

可以

kě yǐ

Old HSK 2 HSK 3.0 level 1 2-character word

可以 (kě yǐ) means "can; may". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.

What 可以 means

1. can
2. may
3. possible
4. able to
5. not bad
6. pretty good

How 可以 is used in grammar

可以 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Modal Verbs: 可能、可以、应该、愿意 (HSK 2)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 1, verbs (能愿动词).

The characters in 可以

• 可kě(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit
• 以yǐto use; by means of; according to

Example sentences

• 可以。
  That's okay.
• 可以啊。
  Could be, could be.
• 我可以爱。
  I can love.
• 她可以来。
  She may come.
• 两点可以。
  Two o'clock would be OK.
• 嗯，可以。
  That does it.

Words starting with 可以

• 可以意会，不可言传kě yǐ yì huì , bù kě yán chuáncan be understood, but not described (idiom, from Zhuangzi 庄子

Words containing 可以

• 不可以bù kě yǐmay not
• 得可以de kě yǐ(colloquial) (stative verb suffix) very; awfully
• 夏虫不可以语冰xià chóng bù kě yǐ yǔ bīnga summer insect cannot discuss ice (idiom)
• 他山之石可以攻玉tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yùlit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom)…
• 星星之火，可以燎原xīng xing zhī huǒ , kě yǐ liáo yuána single spark can start a huge blaze (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive…

Where 可以 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Health and Weather (HSK 2), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 2 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read kě yǐ correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.