可

See also: 句

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

可 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 一弓口 (MNR), four-corner 1062₀, composition ⿹丁口)

Derived characters

• 奇 哥 阿 苛

Descendants

• 𛀙
• 𛀚

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 172, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3245
• Dae Jaweon: page 383, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 567, character 7
• Unihan data for U+53EF

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		可

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 可
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
砢	*ɡ·raːlʔ
柯	*kaːl
菏	*kaːl, *ɡaːl
牁	*kaːl
滒	*kaːl
哥	*kaːl
歌	*kaːl
謌	*kaːl
鴚	*kaːl
哿	*kaːlʔ
舸	*kaːlʔ
笴	*kaːlʔ, *kaːnʔ
軻	*kʰaːl, *kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
珂	*kʰaːl
可	*kʰaːlʔ
岢	*kʰaːlʔ
坷	*kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
蚵	*kʰaːls, *ɡaːl
呵	*qʰaːl, *qʰaːls
訶	*qʰaːl
抲	*qʰaːl
荷	*qʰaːls, *ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
何	*ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
河	*ɡaːl
苛	*ɡaːl
魺	*ɡaːl
袔	*ɡaːls
阿	*qaːl
妸	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
疴	*qaːl, *kʰraːls
鈳	*qaːl
娿	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
痾	*qaːl
跒	*kʰraːlʔ
閜	*qʰraːlʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰaːlʔ) : semantic 口 + phonetic 丂 (OC *kʰluːʔ).

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kě (ke³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ho²
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): khó
• Northern Min (KCR): kǒ̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): kō̤
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khó / khóⁿ / khóa

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ko²

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵khu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kě
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kě
    • Wade–Giles: kʻo³
    • Yale: kě
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kee
    • Palladius: кэ (kɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ho²
    • Yale: hó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ho²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ho²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔː³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khó
    • Hakka Romanization System: ko`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ko³
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰo³¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: kǒ̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kō̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰo³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khó
    • Tâi-lô: khó
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qoir
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kʰo⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰɤ⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khóⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: khónn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qvor
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰɔ̃⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khóa
    • Tâi-lô: khuá
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qoar
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kʰua⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰua⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰua⁴¹/

Note:

• khó/khóⁿ - literary;
• khóa - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: ko²
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khó
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰo⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁵khu
    • MiniDict: khu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²khu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰu³⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: khaX

Rime
Character	可
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	枯我切
Baxter	khaX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰɑX/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰɑX/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰɑX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰaX/
Li Rong	/kʰɑX/
Wang Li	/kʰɑX/
Bernard Karlgren	/kʰɑX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	kě
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ho2

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ʰˤa[j]ʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰaːlʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	可
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kě
Middle Chinese	‹ khaX ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ʰˁa[j]ʔ/
English	may; acceptable
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	可
Reading #	1/1
No.	7446
Phonetic component	可
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	可
Old Chinese	/*kʰaːlʔ/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 可

1. can, may, be able to
   • 可能 (kěnéng, “possibly”)
   • 可以 (kěyǐ, “can”)

   • 這袋子可盛五十公斤。 [MSC, trad.]
     这袋子可盛五十公斤。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhè dàizi kě shèng wǔshí gōngjīn. [Pinyin]

     This bag can hold 50 kilos.

   • 他沒有家可住。／他没有家可住。  ―  Tā méiyǒu jiā kě zhù.  ―  He had no place to live.
2. Particle used for emphasis.
   • 我可不太知道。  ―  Wǒ kě bù tài zhīdào.  ―  I don't really know.
3. to approve, to permit
   • 許可／许可 (xǔkě, “to permit, to allow”)
   • 認可／认可 (rènkě, “to approve”)
4. to suit
   • 可心 (kěxīn, “satisfying”)
5. to be worth doing

   • 展覽的確可看。 [MSC, trad.]
     展览的确可看。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhǎnlǎn díquè kě kàn. [Pinyin]

     The exhibition is really worth seeing.

6. Prefix attached to verbs, expressing possibility and turning them into adjectives. Similar to the English suffix -able.

   可吃  ―  kěchī  ―  edible

   可愛／可爱  ―  kě'ài  ―  lovely

   可憐／可怜  ―  kělián  ―  pitiful

7. but

   Template:zh-syn

Usage notes

When Mandarin speakers wish to imitate the sound of the dialectal pronunciation of 可 in written form, the character 闊／阔 (kuò) is often used to substitute for 可.

闊以／阔以  ―  kuòyǐ  ―  imitates the sound of 可以 (kěyǐ) in dialectal Chinese

闊落／阔落  ―  kuòluò  ―  imitates the sound of 可樂／可乐 (kělè) in dialectal Chinese

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kè (ke⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hak¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kè
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kè
    • Wade–Giles: kʻo⁴
    • Yale: kè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: keh
    • Palladius: кэ (kɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: hak¹
    • Yale: hāk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hak⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: heg¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐk̚⁵/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 可

1. Only used in 可汗 (kèhán).

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

可

(grade 5 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• On: こく (koku)
• Kun: よい (yoi, 可い); べし (beshi, 可し); ばかり (bakari)

Compounds

Compounds of 可

Common

• 可否(かひ) (kahi)
• 可(か)決(けつ) (kaketsu)
• 可(か)也(なり) (kanari)
• 可能(かのう) (kanō)
• 可(か)愛(わい)い (kawaii)
• 可(か)哀相(わいそう) (kawaisō)
• 不可(ふか) (fuka)
• 許可(きょか) (kyoka)
• 認可(にんか) (ninka)

Uncommon

• 可(べ)き (beki)
• 可(か)とする (katosuru)
• 可分(かぶん) (kabun)
• 可聴(かちょう) (kachō)

• 可動(かどう) (kadō)
• 可(か)読(どく) (kadoku)
• 可(か)逆(ぎゃく) (kagyaku)
• 可変(かへん) (kahen)
• 可燃(かねん) (kanen)
• 可憐(かれん) (karen)
• 可算(かさん) (kasan)
• 可視(かし) (kashi)
• 可塑(かそ) (kaso)
• 可溶(かよう) (kayō)
• 加(か)圧性(あつせい) (kātsusei)
• 可(か)換環(かんかん) (kakankan)
• 可(か)換群(かんぐん) (kakangun)
• 可(か)処分(しょぶん) (kashobun)
• 印可(いんか) (inka)
• 半可(はんか) (hanka)
• 裁可(さいか) (saika)
• 成(な)る可(べ)く (narubeku)

Archaic / rare

• 可(べ)い (bei)
• 可(べ)し (beshi)
• 可(べ)からず (bekarazu)
• 可(べ)くして (bekushite)
• 可惜(あたら) (atara)
• 可(か)成(なり) (kanari)
• 可(か)祝(しく) (kashiku)
• 可撓(かとう) (katō)
• 可用(かよう) (kayō)
• 允可(いんか) (inka)
• 可(か)及(きゅう)的(てき) (kakyūteki)
• 可耕地(かこうち) (kakōchi)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
可
か Grade: 5
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 可 (MC khaX).

Noun

可(か) • (ka) 

1. passable
2. allowed

   再配(さいはい)布(ふ)が可(か)の画像(がぞう)[1]

   saihaifu ga ka no gazō

   images whose redistribution is allowed

Suffix

可(か) or 可(suffix) • (ka or suffix) [[Category:Japanese
|か]]

1. permitted, allowed, licensed

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Korean

Etymology 1

Hanja

可 (eumhun 옳을 가 (oreul ga))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Etymology 2

Hanja

可 (eumhun 오랑캐 극 (orangkae geuk))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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Vietnamese

Han character

可: Hán Nôm readings: khả, khá, tài

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.