方可 (fāng kě) — (adverb) only then; only after (used to express a necessary condition)

Definition

方可 (fāng kě) is a formal written adverb meaning 'only then / only after' — used in official or literary contexts to mark a strict necessary condition, not in everyday speech.

adverb
only thenonly after (used to express a necessary condition)

Examples

  • ，方可。
    Zhǐ yǒu tōng guò kǎo shì, fāng kě huò dé zhèng shū.
    Only by passing the exam can you obtain the certificate.
  • ，方可。
    Tí jiāo shēn qǐng hòu, fāng kě jìn rù xià yì lún shěn hé.
    Only after submitting the application can you enter the next round of review.
  • ，方可。
    Shuāng fāng tóng yì, fāng kě qiān dìng hé tong.
    Only when both parties agree can the contract be signed.

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.

方fāngjust
可kěcan

“方” means just and “可” means can, so the sense is only then can.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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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