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可
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

can

HSK 5 N2
Communication →Language
kě
カ、コク
-べ.き、-べ.し
가, 극
Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and the right component, which is a pictograph of an axe handle (now written as 柯), represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "sing", now written as 歌. The current meaning "able to" is a phonetic loan.
Components
口 mouth+ 柯 axe-handle =
可 can
口 Meaning component
kǒu mouth
柯 Phonetic component
kē axe-handle
Depicts an axe handle. Original form of 柯.
View phonetic series →
Notes
Similar Characters
侃 upright and strong兽 bestial (simp)冋 a desert加 add卟 a chemical compound古 ancient叨 talkative叫 call召 summon叭 trumpet叮 sting叱 bawl叶 be in harmony (simp)号 appellation (jp)叹 admire (simp)叼 hold in the mouth叽 sigh (simp)吁 alas (simp)吃 eat (simp)吆 bawl
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)
Bronze
Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Bronze
Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
可
Regular
Modern
Chinese
可 [kě]
can; may; able to; to approve; to permit; to suit; (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very
可 [kè]
see 可汗[kè​hán]
Japanese
可 か 同音

noun

  1. acceptable; satisfactory; allowed; permitted
  2. approval; being in favour; (a) vote in favour; aye
  3. Pass (grade); Fair; C; D (on a 優, 良, 可 scale)
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (1)
この試験は辞書持ち込み可です。
You can use a dictionary for this exam.
Japanese Names
可 かすみ
Kasumi unclassified name
可 かなり
Kanari surname
可 は
Ha surname
CHINESE WORDS (200)
可以 [kě​yǐ] #57
can
可能 [kě​néng] #100
might (happen)
可是 [kě​shì] #300
but
可爱 [kě​'ài] #599
adorable
可爱 [kě​'ài] #599
adorable
不可 [bù​kě] #2,135
cannot
可怜 [kě​lián] #903
pitiful
可怕 [kě​pà] #936
awful
不可能 [bù​kě​néng] #1,426
impossible
可惜 [kě​xī] #1,854
it is a pity
190 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (200)
⭐ 可能性 [かのうせい] #633
potentiality
⭐ 可能 [かのう] #1,141
possible
⭐ 可愛い [かわいい] #1,332
cute
⭐ 不可能 [ふかのう] #1,699
impossible
⭐ 許可 [きょか] #1,734
permission
⭐ 可愛らしい [かわいらしい] #3,211
lovely
⭐ 可能性が高い [かのうせいがたかい] #4,218
very likely
⭐ 可哀想 [かわいそう] #4,519
poor
⭐ 可憐 [かれん] #5,806
sweet (e.g. young girls, flowers blooming)
⭐ 不可解 [ふかかい] #6,630
incomprehensible
190 more items
KOREAN WORDS (24)
허가 #6,155
permission; approval
가능성 #8,661
possibility; chance; likelihood
불가능 #12,779
impossibility
불가 #15,293
wrong
가능 #16,369
possibility; potentiality
가망 #24,858
possibility; chance; prospect
가결
passage; approval
가관
sight; being ridiculous
가급적
if possible
가동성
movability; mobility
14 more items