克 meaning and stroke order
To be able to; to subdue; to restrain
How to write 克, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 克
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to be able to
- to subdue
- to restrain
- to overcome
- gram
- Tibetan unit of land area, about 6 ares
How 克 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A weapon 十 used to subdue a beast 兄.
Radical: 儿 (son), shared by 24 characters on this site.
How to remember 克
Picture a weapon 十 held over a beast 兄 to keep it under control. That is the idea of 克 (kè): to subdue, restrain, or overcome.
克 rarely stands alone in speech. It appears in words like 克服 (kèfú, overcome) and 克制 (kèzhì, restrain), and it is the gram, as in 千克 (qiānkè, kilogram). Example: 我们一定能克服困难。(Wǒmen yídìng néng kèfú kùnnan.) We can definitely overcome the difficulties.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 克 with 兄 (xiōng, older brother), which lacks the 十 on top, or with 免 (miǎn), which looks similar at the bottom. Also keep the fourth tone: kè, not kě like 可.
Common words with 克
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 千克 | qiānkè | kilogram | HSK 2 |
| 克服 | kèfú | (try to) overcome (hardships etc); to conquer | HSK 3 |
| 巧克力 | qiǎokèlì | (loanword) chocolate | HSK 4 |
| 坦克 | tǎnkè | (loanword) tank (military vehicle); (derog.) (slang) overweight woman | HSK 7-9 |
| 扑克 | pūkè | poker (game) (loanword); playing cards | HSK 7-9 |
| 克制 | kèzhì | to restrain; to control | HSK 7-9 |
| 休克 | xiūkè | (medicine) (loanword) shock; to go into shock | HSK 7-9 |
| 克隆 | kèlóng | (biology) (loanword) to clone; a clone; (fig.) to make an identical copy of (a website etc | HSK 7-9 |
| 麦克 | Màikè | (loanword) microphone | |
| 马克 | Mǎkè | mark (monetary unit) | |
| 克拉 | kèlā | carat (mass) (loanword) | |
| 贝克 | Bèikè | becquerel (unit of radioactivity, symbol Bq) (abbr. for 貝克勒爾|贝克勒尔[bei4 ke4 le4 er3]) | |
| 夹克 | jiākè | (loanword) jacket; also pr. [jia2 ke4] | |
| 力克 | lìkè | to prevail with difficulty |
克 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 克
Learning 克 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 克
How many strokes are in 克?
克 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 克 mean?
克 (kè) means to be able to; to subdue; to restrain. A common word with it is 千克 (qiānkè), meaning "kilogram".
How do you pronounce 克?
克 is pronounced kè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 克?
The radical of 克 is 儿, which carries the idea of "son". Dictionaries list 克 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 克?
The traditional form of 克 is 剋 and 尅. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 克 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 克 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 克 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 克 show up in so many foreign words?
Its sound kè is a handy match for syllables like 'k', 'c' or 'que' in other languages. That is why you see it in loanwords such as 巧克力 (qiǎokèlì, chocolate), 扑克 (pūkè, poker), 坦克 (tǎnkè, tank) and 克隆 (kèlóng, clone).
How do I say a weight in grams with 克?
Put the number before 克, like 五百克 (wǔbǎi kè, 500 grams). For kilograms use 千克 (qiānkè), though in daily life many people also use 公斤 (gōngjīn).