肯

• Pinyin: kěn
• Hanzi breakdown: 肯 = 止 (stop) + 月 (flesh), originally indicating acceptance by the body/person

Meaning

To be willing to; to consent to; to agree to do something.

Expresses willingness or consent, often used in negative or interrogative sentences. Common patterns: 肯定 (definitely), 不肯 (unwilling to), 肯不肯 (willing or not). Slightly more formal than 愿意. Often implies that consent was not automatic or required some consideration.

Examples

1. 他死活不肯承认自己的错误，态度非常固执。 He absolutely refused to admit his mistake; his attitude was very stubborn.
2. 如果你肯帮我这个忙，我一定好好感谢你。 If you're willing to help me with this favor, I'll definitely thank you properly.
3. 孩子们不肯早睡，非要看完这集动画片才行。 The children refused to go to bed early and insisted on finishing this episode of the cartoon first.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, requests, persuasion

Tone: personal

Do Say

• 你肯帮忙吗？(Are you willing to help?)
• 她就是不肯说实话。(She just won't tell the truth.)

Don't Say

• 在正式场合用肯代替同意 (In formal contexts like contracts, use 同意 instead of 肯)

Origin & History

From ancient Chinese, originally meaning 'to agree' or 'to acknowledge.' The character shows 月 (flesh/body) under 止 (stop), suggesting physical consent.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal