可爱 kě ài
“adorable; cute; lovely”
adjectiveHSK 3 · 2021 list level 2Traditional 可愛
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
可爱 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 732: 可爱 kě’ài — Level 3; official annotation 3 (形). PDF page 98
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 可爱
可爱 means "cute" or "adorable" and describes people, animals, or things that make you feel fond of them. As an adjective it is used predicatively with a degree word (很可爱, 可爱极了) or attributively before a noun with 的 (可爱的孩子). It is not used adverbially with 地.
例句Example sentences
- 你的小猫真可爱！nǐ de xiǎo māo zhēn kě ài!Your kitten is so cute!
- 妹妹笑的时候很可爱。mèi mei xiào de shí hou hěn kě ài.My little sister looks cute when she smiles.
- 这是一个可爱的书包。zhè shì yí gè kě ài de shū bāo.This is a cute backpack.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗她很可爱吗？是的，她很可爱极了。
✓她很可爱吗？是的，她可爱极了。
极了 already expresses an extreme degree, so it cannot be combined with 很; use either 很可爱 or 可爱极了.
-
✗这只狗很可爱地。
✓这只狗很可爱。
可爱 is a descriptive adjective, not an adverb; it does not take 地 here.