可
can · passable · approval
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of mouth and phonetic. Permission from mouth.
Symbolism
Possible, permission, appropriate. Represents being allowed.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Believing in possibility
Component Breakdown
丁 + mouth
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
不可抗力
ふかこうりょく
act of God; irresistible force; inevitability
不可思議
ふかしぎ
mystery; something inexplicable; wonder
純情可憐
じゅんじょうかれん
pure of heart and pretty
可惜身命
あたらしんみょう
valuing one's body and life; holding one's life dear
奇貨可居
きかおくべし
you must seize every golden opportunity; strike while the iron is hot; when you find a rare good buy, seize upon it for a future sale at a much higher price
紅顔可憐
こうがんかれん
youthful and endearing; rosy-cheeked and sweet
後生可畏
こうせいかい
the young should be regarded with respect
純真可憐
じゅんしんかれん
pure of heart and beautiful; innocent and beautiful
Proverbs & Idioms
可もなく不可もなく
かもなくふかもなく
Neither good nor bad
Average, unremarkable
Anime & Manga
可愛いだけじゃない式守さん
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie
A well-known work with 可 in its Japanese title.
俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない
Oreimo
A well-known work with 可 in its Japanese title.
クラスで２番目に可愛い女の子と友だちになった
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class
A well-known work with 可 in its Japanese title.
可愛ければ変態でも好きになってくれますか？
Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie?
A well-known work with 可 in its Japanese title.
黒岩メダカに私の可愛いが通じない
Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms
A well-known work with 可 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
森可成
Name contains 可
Mori Yoshinari was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period and the head of the Mori clan family, who served the Saitō clan.
Wikipedia森長可
Name contains 可
Mori Nagayoshi was a samurai officer under the Oda clan following Japan's 16th-century Sengoku period, and the older brother of the famous Mori…
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 可 mean in Japanese?
可 means can, passable, approval.
How do you read 可?
On'yomi: カ、コク (KA, KOKU). Kun'yomi: -べ.き、-べ.し (beki, beshi).
How many strokes does 可 have?
可 has 5 strokes. Its radical is 口 (mouth).
Is 可 a good kanji for a tattoo?
可 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means can, passable, approval. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:can