无可 (wú kě) — (auxiliary) cannot; there is no way to (used before a disyllabic verb to express impossibility); (in fixed phrases) nothing can be ...; beyond (the possibility of)

Definition

无可 (wúkě) is a formal written prefix meaning 'no way to / nothing can' — it attaches to a two-syllable verb (e.g. 无可救药, 无可奉告) to negate possibility. Almost never used on its own; learn it inside set phrases.

auxiliary verb
(auxiliary) cannotthere is no way to (used before a disyllabic verb to express impossibility)(in fixed phrases) nothing can be ...beyond (the possibility of)

Examples

  • ，。
    Duì yú zhè jiàn shì, wǒ wú kě fèng gào.
    I have no comment on this matter.
  • 无可。
    Tā de cuò wù yǐ jīng wú kě jiù yào le.
    His mistakes are already beyond remedy.
  • ，。
    Zhè zhǒng xiǎng fǎ wú kě hòu fēi, kě yǐ lǐ jiě.
    This way of thinking is not blameworthy and can be understood.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

无wúno; without
可kěcan; possible

无 expresses absence and 可 expresses possibility, so it means no way to do something.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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