HSK · Level 1
130 words
Chinese word
可
Pronunciation
Pinyinkě
Meaning
- adverbvery
Example
他可高兴了。tā kě gāo xìng le
He is very happy.
More examples
她可真能干。tā kě zhēn néng gàn
She is really capable.
Core concept
A brief spoken push that makes a quality or action feel strikingly strong.
Common phrases
可真kě zhēn
really
可太kě tài
very
Similar words
很hěn: A common degree adverb used before an adjective or state to mean very.
非常fēi cháng: A degree adverb for an extremely high level, suitable in speech and writing.
挺tǐng: A spoken adverb that raises the degree of a description to quite or fairly strong.
真zhēn: A spoken adverb that emphasizes a feeling or fact as truly strong or real.
Definition in Chinese
用于形容词或动词前以加强程度或表达强烈情绪，语气比“很”更强，属于口语常用项。yòng yú xíng róng cí huò dòng cí qián yǐ jiā qiáng chéng dù huò biǎo dá qiáng liè qíng xù yǔ qì bǐ hěn gèng qiáng shǔ yú kóu yǔ cháng yòng xiàng
Word origin
The older uses of 可 (kě, "acceptable; can") center on approval or possibility, while modern speech also uses the compact word to heighten a description.
Usage tips
- English often uses very as a neutral degree word, but this conversational form can also signal the speaker's immediate involvement in the statement.