Home › Learn Chinese Characters › All 300 characters › 可

可 kě — “can; (but)”

How to write and say the Chinese character 可 (kě), which means can; (but) — with stroke order, audio, its story, and an example sentence. Theme: Can & must.

Pinyin · 拼音 kě
Meaning · 意思 can; (but)
Strokes · 笔画 5
Radical · 部首 口 (mouth)
Hear it · 听发音
Watch it drawn stroke by stroke →

Stroke order笔顺

可 is written with 5 strokes, in this order (the red stroke is the one being added):

The story behind it字源小故事

A mouth 口 saying yes — can do! You'll find it doubled in 哥 (big brother).

A common word常用词

可kě是shì

but

Example sentence例句

外wài面miàn冷lěng,可kě是shì很hěn好hǎo玩wán。

It's cold outside, but such fun.

This page is part of the free Chinese character explorer from Casey Foundation Chinese School — a Saturday community Chinese school in Narre Warren, Victoria, serving Berwick, Cranbourne, Hallam and families across Melbourne's southeast. New students get a free trial lesson.