The character 可 (kě) is used to emphasize or intensify adjectives and verbs in spoken Chinese, especially in the north of China. It often conveys a contrast between what the speaker expected and what actually happened, making it stronger than other modifiers.
1. Emphasizing adjectives:
Structure: 可 + Adj. + 了
Example: 他可高了！(He’s really tall!)
Note: The 了 is usually included to strengthen the expression.
2. Emphasizing verbs:
Structure: 可 + Verb Phrase
Example: 这事可麻烦了。 (This matter is really troublesome.)
The 了 is optional here but can be added.
3. Expressing “finally” (similar to 终于 zhōngyú):
Structure: 可 + Verb Phrase + 了
Example: 我们可到了！ (We finally arrived!)
Here, 了 is almost always required.
Tip: This usage is informal and mostly found in spoken Northern Chinese. Context is key, as the nuance changes depending on what’s being emphasized.
Sample Sentences
他可聪明了！He’s really smart!
你可别忘了带钥匙！Don’t you dare forget to bring the keys!
天气可冷啊！The weather is really cold!
In a Text
今天真是奇怪的一天。早上我出门的时候，天气可冷啊，我都快冻僵了。去上班的路上，地铁可挤了，人多得连站都站不稳。到了办公室，发现我的电脑可慢了，打开一个文件都要等好几分钟。午饭的时候，老板可惊讶了，居然请我们全体吃了火锅，大家高兴得不得了。下午终于下班了，我可累了，一回到家就倒在床上睡着了。
冻僵 (dòngjiāng): frozen; stiff from cold
惊讶 (jīngyà): surprised; astonished
Today was really a strange day. In the morning when I went out, the weather was so cold that I was almost frozen. On the way to work, the subway was extremely crowded, with so many people that I could barely stand. When I got to the office, I found my computer was painfully slow, taking several minutes just to open a file. At lunch, the boss was so surprised that he actually treated all of us to hotpot, and everyone was overjoyed. Finally, in the afternoon, work was done—I was really exhausted and fell asleep on the bed as soon as I got home.
Enjoying Mandarin Zest? Help us keep creating weekly posts by making a monthly or yearly pledge. Every bit of support counts — 谢谢！