able to

Original meaning: 

sing

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and the right component, which is a pictograph of an axe handle (now written as ), represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "sing", now written as . The current meaning "able to" is a phonetic loan.

Components
口 meaning component

  Meaning component

kǒu

  

mouth

柯 sound,remnant component

  Sound Remnant component

  

axe-handle

Depicts an axe handle. Original form of .

Evolution

可 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
可 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
可 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
可 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
可 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

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

 

see 可汗[kè​hán]

Most common words with 可
Freq.
Word
Meaning

可以

can

can

可能

possible

可是

but

可爱

adorable

Component uses

Meaning component in 1 character (0 verified)

Sound component in 20 characters (6 verified)