Dictionary › 可
可
kě
可 (kě) means "(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit". It is an HSK 3.0 level 3 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.
What 可 means
- (prefix) can; may; able to; -able
- to approve; to permit
- to suit
- (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very
- but; however
How 可 is used in grammar
可 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.
The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 3, conjunctions (连接分句或句子); level 5, adverbs (程度副词); level 5, adverbs (语气副词); level 6, complex sentences (转折复句).
Other readings
Example sentences
-
可笑!Kěxiào!Funny!
-
可怜!How unfortunate!
-
可恶！Abominable!
-
可以。That's okay.
-
不可理喻BùkělǐyùNonsense!
-
适可而止Shìkě'érzhǐQuit while you're ahead.
Words starting with 可
- 可以kě yǐcan; may; possible
- 可能kě néngmight (happen); possible; probable
- 可是kě shìbut; however; (used for emphasis) indeed
- 可爱kě àiadorable; cute; lovely
- 可惜kě xīit is a pity; what a pity; unfortunately
- 可怜kě liánpitiful; pathetic; to have pity on
- 可怕kě pàawful; dreadful; fearful
- 可见kě jiànit can clearly be seen (that this is the case); it is (thus) clear; clear
- 可靠kě kàoreliable
- 可笑kě xiàofunny; ridiculous
- 可恶kě wùrepulsive; vile; hateful
- 可口kě kǒutasty; to taste good
- 可行kě xíngfeasible
- 可观kě guānworth seeing; considerable; impressive; significant
- 可能性kě néng xìngpossibility; probability
- 可不是kě bu shì(colloquial) exactly!; indeed; that's for sure
- 可谓kě wèiit could even be said
- 可就kě jiùcertainly
- 可乐kě lèamusing; entertaining; (loanword) cola
- 可知kě zhīevidently; clearly; no wonder
- 可想而知kě xiǎng ér zhī(idiom) (it) goes without saying; can well be imagined
- 可悲kě bēilamentable
- 可可kě kě(loanword) cocoa
- 可疑kě yísuspicious; dubious
Words containing 可
- 不可bù kěcannot; should not; must not
- 宁可nìng kěpreferably; one would prefer to...(or not to...); would rather
- 认可rèn kěto approve; approval; acknowledgment
- 许可xǔ kěto allow; to permit
- 不可思议bù kě sī yì(idiom) inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable
- 无可奈何wú kě nài héhave no way out; have no alternative; abbr. to 无奈
- 难能可贵nán néng kě guìrare and precious; valuable; remarkable
- 无可奉告wú kě fèng gào(idiom) no comment
- 有可能yǒu kě néngpossible; probable; possibly
- 即可jí kěequivalent to 就可以; can then (do sth); can immediately (do sth)
- 许可证xǔ kě zhènglicense; authorization; permit
- 无可wú kěcan't
- 不可避免bù kě bì miǎn(idiom) inevitable; unavoidable
- 均可jūn kěall are OK; both are OK; all can
- 由此可见yóu cǐ kě jiànfrom this, it can be seen that...
- 随处可见suí chù kě jiàncan be seen everywhere
- 必不可少bì bù kě shǎoabsolutely necessary; indispensable; essential
- 无话可说wú huà kě shuōto have nothing to say (idiom)
- 忍无可忍rěn wú kě rěnmore than one can bear (idiom); at the end of one's patience; the last straw
- 不可或缺bù kě huò quēnecessary; must have
- 尽可能jǐn kě néngas far as possible; to the best of one's ability
- 不可收拾bù kě shōu shi(idiom) irremediable; unmanageable; out of hand; hopeless
- 尚可shàng kěnot bad; satisfactory
- 无家可归wú jiā kě guī(idiom) homeless
Characters that look like 可
Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.
Sounds the same
Read kě, tone for tone, but written differently.
Where 可 is taught
In the GraphChinese course it is part of HSK 2 Characters · Set 1 (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.
- How characters are built from components.
- How to learn Chinese characters.
- The four tones and the neutral tone, to read kě correctly.
- Look up another word in the free dictionary.
Looking a word up is not learning it. GraphChinese puts all of HSK 1–6 into one dependency graph, teaches each piece only once its prerequisites are solid, and schedules reviews to land just before you would forget.
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