可 (ho2 hak1 | ke3 ke4) : can; approve; need; but

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可

ho2 hak1

ke3 ke4

[1] [v] can; may; be able to
[2] [v] approve; permit; agree
[3] [v] need (doing); be worth (doing); fit
[4] [conj] but; however; yet
[5] [adv] ever; actually; at all (for emphasis)

The readings ho2/ke3 are used in virtually all contexts. hak1/ke4 are used only in the term 可汗 (khan).

Default PoS:

Additional PoS:

Stroke count: 5

Level: 1

Radical: 口 (#30)

This character is used in both Cantonese and Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.

可

Don't confuse with:
何荷司

This word has been viewed 27155 times since 30th Oct 2012, was added by sheik on 18th Mar 2007 21:22 and last edited on 16th Jun 2015 15:37

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可以 ho2 ji5 ke3 yi3 = can, may, be allowed to

可愛 ho2 oi3 ke3 ai4 = cute

不可 bat1 ho2 bu4 ke3 = cannot; not able to

可口 ho2 hau2 ke3 kou3 = tasty; to taste good

可樂 ho2 lok6 = cola

可口可樂 ho2 hau2 ho2 lok6 ke3 kou3 ke3 le4 = Coca-Cola

可能 ho2 nang4 ke3 neng2 = maybe; probably; possibly; able

唔可以 m4 ho2 ji5 = cannot 粵

不可能 bat1 ho2 nang4 bu4 ke3 neng2 = impossible

冇可能 mou5 ho2 nang4 = impossible 粵
See all 202 compounds (CantoDict reports 217 compounds in total, but some may be Common Formations)

Showing all 49 examples containing 可

嗰個女仔好可愛。粵
That girl is so cute.

佢可以見到我 ?
He can see me

可惡，究竟係咩事呀。粵
Ugh, what actually happened [just now]?
[This is a common phrase in some TV shows. 可惡 is an interjection meaning "ugh". 究竟係咩事呀 is a shorter form of 究竟係發生咩事呀, so literally we have "ugh, actually is happen what?"]

你唔可以企喺張枱上便粵
You can't stand on the table.
[Lit. you cannot stand at table surface. 唔可以 here carries the sense of "not allowed".]

獵豹唔可以做寵物㗎！粵
You can't keep a cheetah as a pet!
[Lit. cheetah cannot do pet [particle]]

你可唔可以同我開一開個風扇呀？粵
Can you please turn on the fan for me?

我哋可以去圖書館或者返屋企。粵
We can go to the library or perhaps go home.

乜都可以。粵
Anything's possible.

晚上你可以看到頭上天空中的星辰國
At night you can see stars in the sky above your head.

我可以讀得好快. 粵
I can read (study) quickly.
[Illustrates use of V + 得 + modifier construct.]

貓好可愛。粵
Cats are cute.

係真嘅，我可以誓願㗎。粵
It's true I swear!

返學可以識到好多同學仔。粵
Going to school can get to know a lot of classmates.
[http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?14,131529,131533#msg-131533]

點先可以學好廣東話呢？粵
How actually can I learn Cantonese well?
[點先 is the abbreviated form of 點樣先至。先至 means ‘really; actually’ here, often used with 呢 at the end of a sentence for emphasis. See this thread for details: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,111468,111471#msg-1114]

先生，請問有啲咩可以幫到你嘅呢？粵
Sir, how can I help you?

搭幾號巴士可以去到上環？粵
Which bus can take me to Sheung Wan?

請問喺伊到可以搭咩車去科大？粵
Excuse me, do you know what public transport can take me to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (from here)?

你唔要嘅話，可以送畀第二個粵
If you don't want it, you can just give it to somebody else.
[Lit. you don't want [conditional delimiter], can give-present give other person]

詳細嘅情況我唔可以透露粵
I can't let you in on the details.
[Lit. small-details information I not-allowed divulge.]

我每朝都喺七點鐘開工，所以我夜晚唔可以出街粵
I start work at 7 o'clock each morning, so I can't stay out too late.
[Lit. I every morning also at 7 o'clock open-work, so I late cannot go-out]

我聽朝喺六點鐘開工，所以我今晚唔可以行公司粵
I‘ve got to start work at six tomorrow, so I can't go shopping tonight.
[Lit. I tomorrow morning at six o'clock start-work, therefore I this-evening cannot go-shopping]

連一秒我都唔可以嘥粵
I can't waste even a second.
[Lit. even one second I also not-allowed waste Std. Chinese: 我不可以浪費每一秒]

我一秒都唔可以嘥粵
I can't waste even a second.
[Lit. I one second also cannot waste Std. Chinese: 我不可以浪費每一秒]

我哋唔可以畀佢死住粵
We can't let him die yet.
[Lit. 住 here means "yet"; 畀 indicates the passive voice and does NOT mean give.]

夢想可唔可以成真呀？粵
Can dreams come true?

冇咗一對手，你就唔可以用筷子粵 ?!
Now that you've lost both your hands, you can't use chopsticks any more.
[Lit. don't-have already one pair hands, you then cannot use chopsticks. (Originally transcribed as 冇咗一隻手，你就唔可以用鍊金術... but 鍊金術 is hardly a useful word for learners.)]

你可以留低﹐亦可以走人﹐對我嚟講都冇所謂。粵
You can stay or go, it's all the same to me.
[Sometimes we need more Cantonese syllables to express the simple English word "or". It's 亦可以 in this sentence. ]

可惜那天限於時間，我們沒有就這個問題作深入的交談。國
Unfortunately, owing to the lack of time that day, we weren't able to discuss this problem in depth.

我諗呢個方案以三個月為期可以做完。粵
I believe this project can be completed within three months.

我哋食藥嗰陣時，要小心啲；可能有副作用。粵
When taking medication, we have to be careful; there may be some side-effects.

如果你唔忙嘅話，你可唔可以幫我搬呢個櫃入去間房。粵
If you're not too busy, could you help me move this dressor into the bedroom?

我嘅職業唔係一般人可以接受粵
My occupation is not one that normal people can accept.

買滿$30可以用優惠價$5換購汽水一支
Spend over $30, can get a bottle of soft drink for $5

問佢嘢佢又唔答，答嚫哩就模稜兩可粵
He does not answer when asked; whenever he responds, they are vague.

佢地兩個可以拉埋天窗全靠我揸大葵扇咋粵
The two of them got married all because I matchmade them together.

呢兩件事係打邊爐同打屎窟，邊可以相提並論粵
These two issues are as different as chalk is from cheese, how can they be put together and be compared at all?

佢可以為咗你沕水撞牆都在所不惜。粵
He would dive into the water and collide/crash at the wall for you, without regards for the consequences.
[in other words: "He would do anything for you."]

燒焊返個線圈就可以撻着架車粵
The car should be able to start once we weld the solenoid.

目前的金融海嘯可能成為黃金復興的契機
This economic tsunami could well be the turning point for gold to be fashionable again.

一頭乳牛一天可以生產約八加侖牛奶
One dairy cattle can produce about 8 gallons of milk in one day

落啲薑蔥就可以辟走陣魚腥味。粵
Drop in some ginger and scallion , can get rid of the fishy smell.

唔使幾耐，你就可以睇到一出精彩嘅好戲粵
In due course, you'll see a spectacular display.
[Lit. in good time, you then can see-arrive one [counter] brilliant [possessive particle] play. 不消多久=唔使幾耐]

佢想表達嘅係佢可以隨心所欲粵
He wants to show that he can have his own way.

我哋開始懷疑佢有可能係我哋搵緊嗰個殺人狂粵
We're starting to suspect that he's probably the homicidal maniac we're looking for.

佢不可一世，佢份人真係好大鼻粵
He thinks he's the best in the world... he's really arrogant.
[second half: he personality really arrogant.]

我隻腳有三粒蚊𧕴，好有可能係因為我前日去公園。粵
There are three bites on my leg... it's probably because I was in the park the day before yesterday.
[Lit. I [counter] leg have three mosquito-bites, very probable is because I day-before-yesterday go park]

可唔可以解釋一下點解妳會無端端被人拉呢？粵
Can you explain why you were arrested for no reason?
[Lit. Can-cannot explain a-little-bit why you would-be for-no-reason by people arrest [particle]?]

景氣好壞可從口紅銷售量看出端倪
The sales volume of lipstick gives a clue as to how prosperous the economy is.

大家都知道亞雄吹水功夫一流，佢可以將一件簡單嘅事講到天花龍鳳嚟吸引人。粵
Everyone knows Ah Hung is really good at talking. He can capture his audience by making a simple matter so sophisticated.

Legend
國 : This term is used in Mandarin/Standard written Chinese, not Cantonese.
粵 : This term is used in Cantonese, not Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.
No icon: This term is used in both Cantonese and Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.

Forum Code to link to this word:
[big][url=http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/297/]可[/url][/big]
HTML Code to link to this word:
<a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/297/" class="chinesemed" target="_blank">可</a>
Decimal representation of this word: 可
Unicode code for this character: U+53ef (off-site link)

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