Meaning of 可惜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- it is a pity
- what a pity
- unfortunately
How to use 可惜
可惜 can stand alone as a reaction, "What a pity," or open a sentence like "unfortunately." It also works as an adjective after 很 or 太. Example: 太可惜了，我们输了。 (Tài kěxī le, wǒmen shū le.) What a pity, we lost.
可 (kě) means "worth" or "able to," and 惜 (xī) means "to value" or "to regret losing." Something 可惜 is worth regretting, like a good thing slipping away.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 惜 (xī) with 借 (jiè, to borrow), which looks similar. 惜 has the heart radical 忄, and 借 has the person radical 亻. Also keep the first tone on xī. It is not xì.
可惜 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
可 kě · can · 5 strokes
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惜 xī · pity · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 可惜.
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can; may |
| 可能 | kěnéng | might (happen); possible |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 可爱 | kě'ài | adorable; cute |
| 可怕 | kěpà | awful; dreadful |
| 可靠 | kěkào | reliable |
| 可乐 | kělè | amusing; entertaining |
| 认可 | rènkě | to approve; approval |
| 可见 | kějiàn | it can clearly be seen (that this is the case); it is (thus) clear |
| 可怜 | kělián | pitiful; pathetic |
| 尽可能 | jìn kěnéng | as far as possible; to the best of one's ability |
| 珍惜 | zhēnxī | to treasure; to value |
Questions about 可惜
What does 可惜 mean?
可惜 (kěxī) means "it is a pity; what a pity" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 可惜?
可惜 is made of 2 characters: 可 (5 strokes), 惜 (11 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 可惜 an HSK word?
Yes. 可惜 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 可惜 and 遗憾 (yíhàn)?
Both express regret, but 可惜 is lighter and more conversational. It often refers to a missed chance or a wasted thing. 遗憾 sounds more formal and deeper, and it is common in official apologies.
Can 可惜 be used to say something is a waste?
Yes. If food or money is thrown away, you can say 扔了太可惜 (rēng le tài kěxī), meaning it would be a shame to throw it away. In this sense it is close to "wasteful."