The character 可 — “may”: how to write it and what it means
may, can
The Chinese character 可 is read kě and means “may, can”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 可
可 has 5 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 可, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 可
- 可以may, canHSK 1
- 可能maybe, possiblyHSK 2
- 可爱cuteHSK 3
- 可是butHSK 3
- 可惜it's a pity, too badHSK 4
- 可怕frighteningHSK 5
- 可靠reliableHSK 5
- 可见it is clear that, soHSK 5
- 许可permit; permissionHSK 6
- 可口tasty, palatableHSK 6
- 可怜pitiful, poor; pityHSK 6
- 可行feasible, practicableHSK 6
- 认可approve, recognizeHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 可?
可 has 5 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 可 mean?
可 means “may, can”. It appears in 可以 (“may”), 可能 (“maybe”), 可爱 (“cute”), 可是 (“but”).
How do you pronounce 可?
可 is read kě. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 可 have?
5 strokes.
← 吧 particle “let's”以 by means of →
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 可 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free