可 kě — can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)
这里的风景可真美。Zhè lǐ de fēng jǐng kě zhēn měi.The scenery here is really beautiful.
Common words: 可以 (kě yǐ)、可能 (kě néng)、可是 (kě shì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "certain"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "certain", including 可 (kě), 某 (mǒu). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "certain" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 可 (kě), 某 (mǒu) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kě, mǒu — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 可 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 可 kěcan; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)Useful words: 可以, 可能
- 某 mǒu(used before measure word and noun) some; (a) certain; so and soUseful words: 某人, 某地
Common words for these 2 "certain" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 可 (kě) — so "certain" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "certain".
某 mǒu — (used before measure word and noun) some; (a) certain; so and so
这件事发生在某个下午。Zhè jiàn shì fā shēng zài mǒu ge xià wǔ.This happened on a certain afternoon.
Common words: 某人 (mǒu rén)、某地 (mǒu dì)、某时 (mǒu shí)
All 2 characters
Open 可、某 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.