How to write 可 (kě, “can”)

可 (kě), an HSK 1 character, means “can”, “to approve” and “to suit”. It is HSK 1 in the 2025 syllabus, down from level 2 in the 2021 standard. Make Me a Hanzi uses it in 20 other characters, such as 哥 (“elder brother”). On its own it is an HSK 3 word; it also forms 可以 (“can”), 可能 (“might”) and 可是 (“but”). Japanese reads it ka, “can”.

Pinyin: kě
Strokes: 5
HSK: 1
Radical: 口 (“mouth”)

Stroke by stroke

As an overlapping character it splits into 丁 (“male adult”), strokes 1 and 5; 口 (“mouth”, the radical), strokes 2–4, written with the strokes of the parts interleaved.

Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → down and left
Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
Vertical hook ㇚topdownwards → up and left

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 5 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 5 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 5 strokes

可 inside other characters

Make Me a Hanzi count: 20 characters.

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Pinyin and meaning

Pinyin	Meanings	Traditional	In words
kě third tone	(prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit; (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very; but; however	—	可以可能可是可爱

HSK 2025 syllabus: level 1
2021 standard: level 2
HSK 2.0: in a level 2 word
Words with it: 312 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 可

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
可	kě	(prefix) can; may HSK 3
可以	kěyǐ	can; may HSK 1
可能	kěnéng	might (happen); possible HSK 2
可是	kěshì	but; however HSK 3
可爱可愛	kě’ài	adorable; cute HSK 3
可惜	kěxī	it is a pity; what a pity HSK 4
可见可見	kějiàn	it can clearly be seen (that this is the case); it is (thus) clear HSK 5
可怕	kěpà	awful; dreadful HSK 5
可靠	kěkào	reliable HSK 5
可口	kěkǒu	tasty; to taste good HSK 6

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several characters: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Contain it:

HSK 1, in list order: