克kè

克

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 克 (kè, "to overcome, to restrain") remains unchanged from its traditional counterpart, though its original pictographic meaning has faded — the character once showed a person bearing a heavy load on their head, capturing the sense of bearing or conquering difficulty. It appears as a component in 勉 (to strive), 赦 (to pardon), and 兼 (to combine), among others.

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Shuowen

克 (kè): The ancient form shows a person bearing a heavy load balanced on the head, a vivid pictograph of physical burden and the strain of carrying weight. From this image of toiling under a load came the extended meanings of conquest and restraint — the ability to overcome or suppress. The character preserves this sense of pressure and the strength required to bear it.

Pinyin

kè· HSK 2

克kè

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin