可以

Character by character

• 可kě5 strokesHSK 2may, can, -able; possibly
• 以yǐ5 strokesHSK 2by means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to

Each character links to its stroke order page with a tracing and a writing exercise.

Example sentences

• 两点可以。

  Liǎng diǎn kě yǐ

  Two o'clock would be OK.

  Listen

• 你可以去了。

  Nǐ kě yǐ qù le

  You may go.

  Listen

• 我想我可以。

  Wǒ xiǎng wǒ kě yǐ

  I think I can.

  Listen

• 我们可以去。

  Wǒ men kě yǐ qù

  We can go.

  Listen

Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR), contributed by their community.

Words with the same characters

These words share at least one character with 可以. Reading them together is how the character starts to stick — the same characters in a different context.

• 可kěHSK 5

  (prefix) can; may; able to; -able; to approve; to permit; to suit; (particle used for emphasis) certainly; very

• 可能kě néngHSK 2

  might (happen); possible; probable; possibility; probability; maybe; perhaps

• 所以suǒ yǐHSK 2

  therefore; as a result; so; the reason why

• 以yǐHSK 7

  to use; by means of; according to; in order to; because of; at (a certain date or place)

• 可是kě shìHSK 2

  but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed

• 以后yǐ hòuHSK 2

  after; later; afterwards; following; later on; in the future

• 以前yǐ qiánHSK 2

  before; formerly; previous; ago

• 以及yǐ jíHSK 4

  as well as; too; and

• 以为yǐ wéiHSK 2

  to think (i.e. to take it to be true that ...) (Usually there is an implication that the notion is mistaken – except when expressing one's own current opinion.)

• 可爱kě àiHSK 2

  adorable; cute; lovely

• 以来yǐ láiHSK 3

  since (a previous event)

• 难以nán yǐHSK 5

  hard to (predict, imagine etc)

• 可怜kě liánHSK 5

  pitiful; pathetic; to have pity on

• 可怕kě pàHSK 2

  awful; dreadful; fearful; formidable; frightful; scary; hideous; horrible; terrible; terribly

• 可惜kě xīHSK 5

  it is a pity; what a pity; unfortunately

• 以下yǐ xiàHSK 2

  that level or lower; that amount or less; the following

• 以上yǐ shàngHSK 2

  that level or higher; that amount or more; the above-mentioned; (used to indicate that one has completed one's remarks) That is all.

• 以外yǐ wàiHSK 2

  apart from; other than; except for; external; outside of; on the other side of; beyond

• 之所以zhī suǒ yǐHSK 7

  (after a noun N and before a predicate P) the reason why N P; Example: 我之所以讨厌他 "the reason why I dislike him (is ...)"

• 可靠kě kàoHSK 3

  reliable

• 以往yǐ wǎngHSK 5

  in the past; formerly

• 足以zú yǐHSK 6

  sufficient to...; so much so that; so that

• 尽可能jǐn kě néngHSK 5

  as far as possible; to do one's utmost

• 不可思议bù kě sī yìHSK 7

  inconceivable (idiom); unimaginable; unfathomable