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可有可无 (kě yǒu kě wú) — dispensable, not essential, optional

Definition

An idiom meaning 'dispensable, not essential' — whether something exists or not makes no real difference.

idiom
dispensablenot essentialoptional

Examples

  • 可有可无，。
    Zhè xiē dōng xī duì wǒ lái shuō kě yǒu kě wú, mǎi bu mǎi dōu xíng.
    These things are dispensable to me; I can take them or leave them.
  • ，，可有可无。
    Zài tuán duì zhōng, měi gè rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de zuò yòng, méi yǒu rén shì kě yǒu kě wú de.
    In a team, everyone has their own role; no one is dispensable.
  • 可有可无，。
    Zhè ge guān diǎn kě yǒu kě wú, bú shì wǒ men tǎo lùn de zhòng diǎn.
    This opinion is not essential; it's not the focus of our discussion.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

可有can have
可kěcan有yǒuhave
偏正Modifier + head
可无can lack
可kěcan无wúnot have
偏正Modifier + head

可 means “can”, 有 means “have”, and 无 means “not have”, giving “can have or can lack”.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 →

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 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

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