肯

肎

kěn

月 + 止

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

kěn (verb) to agree; to be willing; to consent

Etymology

Depicts meat (⺼) attached to a bone (冎). Based on the original meaning "meat attached to bone". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character 肯 is composed of the flesh radical 月 (⺼) at the bottom and a simplified version of 骨 (bone) at the top, the latter originally the pictograph 冎. Together they form a vivid depiction of meat attached to a bone, and the earliest meaning was simply 'meat on the bone'. In contemporary Chinese, 肯 means 'willing', 'to consent', or 'to agree'. This shift is not a semantic evolution from the idea of adherence; rather, the character was borrowed purely for its sound to represent a homophonous word. The ancient anatomical meaning has fallen away entirely.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他肯帮助我。

Tā kěn bāngzhù wǒ.

He is willing to help me.

她肯接受新想法。

Tā kěn jiēshòu xīn xiǎngfǎ.

She is willing to accept new ideas.

你肯定能成功。

Nǐ kěndìng néng chénggōng.

You will definitely succeed.

我们肯合作完成项目。

Wǒmen kěn hézuò wánchéng xiàngmù.

We are willing to cooperate to complete the project.

如果你肯努力，就会进步。

Rúguǒ nǐ kěn nǔlì, jiù huì jìnbù.

If you are willing to work hard, you will improve.

他肯定了这个计划的重要性。

Tā kěndìngle zhège jìhuà de zhòngyàoxìng.

He affirmed the importance of this plan.

尽管困难，他仍然肯坚持下去。

Jǐnguǎn kùnnán, tā réngrán kěn jiānchí xiàqù.

Despite difficulties, he is still willing to persist.

你是否肯考虑改变你的策略？

Nǐ shìfǒu kěn kǎolǜ gǎibiàn nǐ de cèlüè?

Are you willing to consider changing your strategy?

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 月

Component: 止

肯