可

• Reading: か
• Romaji: ka
• Kanji breakdown: 可 (ka) — passable, acceptable, possible
• Pronunciation: /ka/

Meaning

Passable; acceptable; permitted. The lowest passing grade in Japanese academic grading.

A noun and suffix meaning 'acceptable' or 'possible.' In the Japanese university grading system, grades are 秀 (shuu, excellent), 優 (yuu, very good), 良 (ryou, good), and 可 (ka, passable) — with 可 being the minimum pass. Also used as a suffix meaning 'possible': 可能 (kanou, possible), 許可 (kyoka, permission), 不可 (fuka, impossible/fail).

Examples

1. 成績が可だったのでちょっと悔しい。 I got a 'passable' grade, so I'm a little frustrated.
2. 不可にならなくてよかったと安心した。 I was relieved that I didn't get a failing grade.
3. あの授業は出席すれば可はもらえる。 If you attend that class, you can at least get a passing grade.

Usage Guide

Context: academics, grading, official evaluation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 可 originally depicted a mouth (口) expressing agreement or approval, combined with a phonetic element. From Chinese, where it meant 'able to' or 'acceptable.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Students and academics

Social background: Universal