刻 kè — quarter (hour); (a measure word); to carve; to engrave; to cut; oppressive
请等一刻钟，我马上就好。Qǐng děng yí kè zhōng, wǒ mǎ shàng jiù hǎo.Please wait fifteen minutes; I will be ready soon.
Common words: 时刻 (shí kè)、立刻 (lì kè)、深刻 (shēn kè)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "oppressive"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "oppressive", including 刻 (kè), 残 (cán). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "oppressive" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 刻 (kè), 残 (cán) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kè, cán — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 刻 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 刻 kèquarter (hour); (a measure word); to carve; to engrave; to cut; oppressiveUseful words: 时刻, 立刻
- 残 cándestroy; spoil; ruin; injure; cruel; oppressiveUseful words: 残疾, 残酷
Common words for these 2 "oppressive" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 刻 (kè) — so "oppressive" 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 "oppressive".
残 cán — destroy; spoil; ruin; injure; cruel; oppressive
这本旧书已经残缺不全了。Zhè běn jiù shū yǐ jīng cán quē bù quán le.This old book is already incomplete.
Common words: 残疾 (cán jí)、残酷 (cán kù)、残忍 (cán rěn)
All 2 characters
Open 刻、残 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.