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Kotomora

可

can, passable, approval

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 5FrequencyTop 500Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • カ
  • コク

Kun'yomi

  • -べ.き
  • -べ.し

Nanori

  • よし

Meaning

可 centers on the idea of something being acceptable or permissible: it can be done, it is passable, or it meets with approval.

Most common words using 可

24 of 421
  • 可能かのう
    N3

    possible; potential; practicable; feasible

  • 可愛いかわいい
    N5

    cute; adorable; charming; lovely; pretty

  • 可笑しいおかしい
    N4

    funny; amusing; comical; laughable; ridiculous

  • 許可きょか
    N4

    permission; approval; authorization; license

  • 不可能ふかのう
    N3

    impossible

  • 可か
    N3

    acceptable; satisfactory; allowed; permitted

  • 可哀想かわいそう
    N3

    poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful

  • 不可ふか
    N3

    wrong; bad; improper; unjustifiable; inadvisable

  • 可笑しなおかしな

    funny; amusing; comical; laughable; ridiculous

  • 認可にんか
    N1

    approval; license; licence; permission

  • 可愛らしいかわいらしい
    N3

    lovely; sweet; pretty; cute; adorable

  • 不可欠ふかけつ
    N2

    indispensable; essential

  • 可決かけつ
    N2

    approval; adoption (of a motion, bill, etc.); passage

  • 不可避ふかひ
    N1

    inevitable; inescapable; unavoidable

  • 不可解ふかかい
    N1

    incomprehensible; mysterious; inexplicable; inscrutable; enigmatic; baffling

  • 可憐かれん

    sweet (e.g. young girls, flowers blooming); touchingly lovely; cute

  • 可否かひ

    propriety; right and wrong; advisability; possibility

  • 不可分ふかぶん

    atomic; indivisibility

  • 不可侵ふかしん

    inviolability; nonaggression; sacredness

  • 可愛がるかわいがる
    N3

    to be affectionate to; to treat tenderly; to dote on; to show one's love (for); to cherish

  • 可能性かのうせい
    N3

    possibility; chance; likelihood; probability

  • 可燃物かねんぶつ
    N1

    combustibles; inflammables; flammables; burnables

  • 可燃性かねんせい

    combustibility; inflammability

  • 可能にするかのうにする

    to allow; to enable; to make possible; to make feasible; to permit

Explore all words using 可 →

Study

Etymology

可 originally depicted a person exhaling or speaking, with 口 (mouth) and a breath-like element above, conveying the idea of expressing permission or affirmation. The modern form retains the mouth component clearly.

Meaning mnemonic

The mouth 口 is open, and the top stroke looks like a nod of approval. Together, 可 means something is acceptable or can be done.

Reading mnemonic

For カ, imagine a can of soda being opened with a satisfying pop: can -> カ, and the sound signals approval.