克

kè
HSK 5
#262 most
frequent character
to be able to, to subdue, to restrain
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

克 began as a picture of a battle helmet and an animal hide. In early texts it meant 'able' or 'to defeat.' The sense then grew to 'win, overcome' and 'subdue, restrain.'

Drawn as: helmet for battle; animal hide

克 as a component in other characters

sound1 character
氪
empty1 character
兢

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Example Sentences

我克服了我的恐惧。
wǒ kèfú le wǒde kǒngjù 。
I overcame my fear.
她需要克制自己的情绪。
tā xūyào kèzhì zìjǐ de qíngxù 。
She needs to restrain her emotions.
他克服了很多困难，终于成功了。
tā kèfú le hěnduō kùnnán ， zhōngyú chénggōng le 。
He overcame many difficulties and finally succeeded.

Words with similar meanings

战胜zhànshèng
to defeat
This term conveys a sense of overcoming a challenge or enemy, often used in a more competitive context.
控制kòngzhì
to control
This word implies managing or governing something, often used in contexts like emotions or actions.

Homophones

HSK 2
课kè
subject, course, class, lesson
HSK 3
刻kè
quarter (hour), moment, to carve
客kè
customer, visitor, guest
可kè
used in 可汗[ke4 han2]

Words Starting With 克

克服kè fú
(try to) overcome (hardships etc); to conquer; to put up with; to endure

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Public Lists with 克

Advanced HSK5 Terms
Vocabulary commonly seen in HSK5 practice, bridging mid-high level usage.
HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test
Feelings & Emotions
Vocabulary for happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love, excitement, etc.