Writing
可 (kě) — how to say "can" in Chinese
可
Can, may; but
conjunction joining clauses · degree adverb
1. but; howeverHSK 3.0 · level 3
conjunction joining clauses
2. quite; very; indeedHSK 3.0 · level 5
degree adverb
How to use it
degree adverb
Goes before an adjective or a verb of feeling.
她可高兴了。
tā kě gāo xìng le
She is really happy.
modal adverb
Goes before the verb and shows the speaker's attitude.
你可别迟到。
nǐ kě bié chí dào
Don't be late, okay?
conjunction joining clauses
Joins the parts of a complex sentence, often paired with another conjunction.
你可以坐车，可走路更好。
nǐ kě yǐ zuò chē kě zǒu lù gèng hǎo
You can take the bus, but walking is better.
Character composition
可
can, may, possible
Radicals / Keys
口
Mouth
#30 · kǒu · 3 strokes
Collocations
可用的时间
kě yòng de shíjiān
available time
可买到的书
kě mǎi dào de shū
books that can be bought
Examples
虽然天气很冷，但是我们还是可以去公园散步。
Although the weather is very cold, we can still go for a walk in the park.
这本书很有意思，你可以看看。
This book is very interesting, you can take a look.
Mnemonic
[kě-] "kay, may I?" Kitten Ke sits in front of a closed cupboard door and meows, "可?" The owner nods: "可!" — and the door swings open. Ke hops inside happily, because yes, he may! 🐱
Try remembering 可
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "can" in Chinese?
"can" in Chinese is 可 (kě).
可 meaning in English
可 (kě) means "Can, may; but".
Can in Chinese pinyin?
It is pronounced kě (written as ke). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "can" in Chinese characters?
It is written 可 and has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 可?
可 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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Grammar with 可
虽然 — although… but…
虽然 (suīrán)⋯⋯，但是 (dànshì) / 可是 (kěshì)⋯⋯
可以 — permission, may
可以 (kěyǐ) + Verb
如果…的话 — if… then…
如果 (rúguǒ)……的话 (de huà)，……
任何 — any, no matter what
任何 (rènhé) + Noun + 都 (dōu) / 也 (yě)…
但是 — but, however
但是 (dànshì) / 可是 (kěshì) / 不过 (bùguò) / 然而 (rán'ér)
可 — emphatic “really”
Subj. + 可 (kě) + Verb / Adj. (+ 了 (le))