可

可 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 一弓口 (MNR), four-corner 1062₀, composition ⿹丁口)

• 何, 呵, 坷, 妸, 㞹, 抲, 河, 阿, 柯, 炣, 牁, 牱, 珂, 胢, 砢, 袔, 䋍, 舸, 蚵, 訶(诃), 跒, 軻(轲), 酠, 鈳(钶), 䯊, 魺(鲄), 鴚, 䶗(𮯙)
• 𡥚, 𪫧, 𠳌, 𢘟, 𪰏, 𣧤, 𪽎, 𥘫, 𥎵, 𥞍, 𥩤, 𠵲, 𣍳, 𧟫, 𧵛, 𩈔, 𩊆
• 𠳊, 𢎄, 𢦪, 𢼔, 𨚩, 𩑸, 𪀉. 㪃, 㪼, 㰤, 㐓, 哥, 𪡑, 𠶘, 𠽚, 𠾳, 岢, 苛, 㱒, 𤕒, 𤔄, 哿, 笴, 疴, 㫊, 閜(𬮠), 㑸, 𪽍, 𣹇, 𡘀, 𪾌, 𣄰, 𧙃, 𧙑
• 奇, 𪜄, 竒

• 𛀙
• 𛀚

• KangXi: page 172, character 12
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 3245
• Dae Jaweon: page 383, character 7
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 567, character 7
• Unihan data for U+53EF

Historical forms of the character 可
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *kʰaːlʔ) : semantic 口 + phonetic 丂 (OC *kʰluːʔ).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-kal ~ *s-gal (“back (lower); kidney; load; carry”) (STEDT). Cognate with 荷 (OC *qʰaːls, *ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ, “to carry”). See there for more.

可

1. can; may; be able to

   可溶  ―  kěróng  ―  soluble

   可大可小  ―  kě dà kě xiǎo  ―  can be serious or minor

   這袋子可盛五十公斤。 [MSC, trad.]
   这袋子可盛五十公斤。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè dàizi kě shèng wǔshí gōngjīn. [Pinyin]

   This bag can hold 50 kilos.

   他沒有家可住。／他没有家可住。  ―  Tā méiyǒu jiā kě zhù.  ―  He had no place to live.

   • 人之性，善可變為惡，惡可變為善。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     人之性，善可变为恶，恶可变为善。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE

     Rén zhī xìng, shàn kě biànwéi è, è kě biànwéi shàn. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

2. to approve; to permit

   許可／许可  ―  xǔkě  ―  to permit, to allow

   認可／认可  ―  rènkě  ―  to approve

3. to fit; suit

   可心  ―  kěxīn  ―  satisfying

   可口  ―  kěkǒu  ―  tasty

4. to be worth doing

   可愛／可爱  ―  kě'ài  ―  cute; adorable (literally, “worth loving”)

   可歌可泣  ―  kěgēkěqì  ―  epic; moving (literally, “worth praising and crying over”)

   四川可玩的地方太多了。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Sìchuān kě wán de dìfang tài duō le. [Pinyin]

   There are too many places in Sichuan worth visiting.

5. but; however

   Synonym: 可是 (kěshì)

6. Particle used for emphasis.
   1. (archaic) Used in questions for emphasis.

      您一向可好？  ―  Nín yīxiàng kě hǎo?  ―  How have you been lately?

   2. Used in rhetorical questions for emphasis.
   3. Used in declarative sentences for emphasis.

      我喜歡的運動可多了。 [MSC, trad.]
      我喜欢的运动可多了。 [MSC, simp.]

      Wǒ xǐhuan de yùndòng kě duō le. [Pinyin]

      There are many sports that I like.

      我可不太知道。  ―  Wǒ kě bù tài zhīdào.  ―  I don't really know.

   4. Used in exclamatory sentences for emphasis.

      這可不行啊！／这可不行啊！  ―  Zhè kě bùxíng a!  ―  But this won't do!

   5. Used in imperative sentences for emphasis.
7. (literary) about; around
8. (literary) to recover completely (from an illness)

   • 待軍師病可，行之未遲。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     待军师病可，行之未迟。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

     Dài jūnshī bìng kě, xíng zhī wèi chí. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

When Mandarin speakers wish to imitate the sound of the dialectal pronunciation of 可 in written form, the character 闊／阔 (kuò) is often used to substitute for 可.

闊以／阔以  ―  kuòyǐ  ―  imitates the sound of 可以 (kěyǐ) in dialectal Chinese

闊落／阔落  ―  kuòluò  ―  imitates the sound of 可樂／可乐 (kělè) in dialectal Chinese

可

1. Only used in 可汗 (kèhán).

(grade 5 “Kyōiku” kanji)

• Go-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• On: こく (koku)
• Kun: よい (yoi, 可い); べし (beshi, 可し); ばかり (bakari)

From Middle Chinese 可 (MC kʰɑX).

可(か) • (ka) 

1. passable
2. allowed

   再(さい)配(はい)布(ふ)が可(か)の画(が)像(ぞう)

   saihaifu ga ka no gazō

   images whose redistribution is allowed

   持(も)ち込(こ)み可(か)

   mochikomi ka

   bringing in [something: notes to a test, etc.] allowed

可(か) • (-ka) 

1. permitted, allowed, licensed

可 (eumhun 옳을 가 (oreul ga))

1. Hanja form^? of 가 (“possible; allowed”).

可 (eumhun 오랑캐 극 (orangkae geuk))

1. Hanja form^? of 극 (“barbarian”).

可: Hán Nôm readings: khả, khá, tài

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.