<p>As Enrico Brasil said in his comment, 可 is a common intensifier.</p>
<p>可:表示强调：他可好了。</p>
<p>他可不敢得罪.<br />
He absolutely doesn't dare offend.<br />
(Maybe he is abnormally afraid of rejection, or maybe he will go back to prison if he is in any way remiss.)</p>
<p>我？失败？我可不这样认为。<br />
Me? Fail? I really don't think so.</p>
<p>这可不好。<br />
That is really bad.</p>
<p>那可不一样。<br />
That is completely different.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-20T05:45:03.297Z
2023-12-20T09:21:41.250Z
2023-12-20T09:21:41.250Z
Pedroski
<p>This 可 is an adverb used for emphasis (it's a separate definition to the 可 in 可以, 可能, etc.); the Pleco dictionary &quot;GF&quot; gives this definition:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>用于一般陈述句，表示强调。<br />
Used in ordinary declarative sentences, expresses emphasis.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It's similar to how 就 in 就是 etc. and 并 in 并不 are used.</p>
<p>As a funny example, I remember one time when one of my Chinese friends was once asked if he's a foreigner, and he replied something like:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我<strong>可</strong>不是外国人。<br />
I'm <strong>certainly</strong> not a foreigner</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He's not only not a foreigner, he's local to the area, and in the middle of a conversation in Chinese as a native Chinese speaker, so he was rather surprised by the question.</p>
<p>So maybe a reasonable English translation of the given sentence is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>……，他<strong>可</strong>不敢得罪。<br />
..., he <strong>certainly</strong> dare not offend.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another example you might have encountered if you play the game Genshin Impact (原神) is 安柏 saying:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我<strong>可</strong>是蒙德城的飞行冠军！  (<a href="https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1dK411A7B4/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">video</a>)<br />
I am <strong>indeed</strong> Mondstadt's flying champion.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-20T00:58:25.280Z
2023-12-20T08:40:14.277Z
2023-12-20T08:40:14.277Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>How to understand &quot;他可不敢得罪?&quot;</p>
<p>First, the sentence uses an inversed word order. The subject is missing. I guess it could be &quot;我&quot; or &quot;你&quot;. <strong>得罪</strong> (offend) is the verb. <strong>他</strong> is the object. Besically this sentence means &quot;我不敢得罪他&quot; = &quot;对他, 我不敢得罪&quot;.</p>
<p>Second, what is the function of &quot;<strong>可</strong>&quot;?</p>
<p>In affirmative sentences, <strong>可</strong> = <strong>可以</strong>, which means &quot;possible&quot; or &quot;possibly&quot;.</p>
<p>In negative sentences, <strong>不可</strong> = <strong>可不</strong> = <strong>不可以</strong>, which means &quot;not possible&quot;, &quot;impossible&quot;, or &quot;unthinkable &quot;. <strong>可不</strong> is in an even stronger mood. For example,</p>
<p>你不可以去. = You could not go there.</p>
<p>你可不能去. = You must not go there.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-20T03:49:42.950Z
The full passage is "大导演非常着急，一来，耽误了时间，日程就得重新安排；二来，会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴，至于这部影片的投资人，可是一位大人物，他可不敢得罪。" 他 refers to 大导演, not the investor.
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-20T05:00:51.447Z
I see. 至于投资人 (一位大人物)，他(大导演)可不敢得罪. "投资人" is the topic (usually object). 他 is the subject. 他不敢得罪投资人. Thanks.
PdotWang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-20T02:56:42.807Z
2023-12-20T02:56:42.807Z
PdotWang
<p>二来，会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴，至于这部影片的投资人，可是一位大人物，他可不敢得罪。</p>
<p>This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. What is the function (and the meaning) of 可 here: 他可不敢得罪? I ask because for me the sentence makes the same sense without it:</p>
<p>他可不敢得罪: He cannot dare to offend</p>
<p>他不敢得罪: He doesn't dare to offend</p>
<p>At least in my feeling in English, the verb &quot;to dare&quot; is enough, it doesn't need the help of &quot;can&quot; to make sense... I can dare... Can is a modal verb while dare is semi-modal. That's why I am perplexed.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-19T22:26:51.733Z
It's an intensifier: "really, indeed". "At all", since it's in the negative.
Enrico Brasil
<grammar><meaning><meaning-in-context>
What is the function of 可 here: 他可不敢得罪?
# What is the function of 可 here: 他可不敢得罪?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-19)

二来，会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴，至于这部影片的投资人，可是一位大人物，他可不敢得罪。

This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, chapter 26. What is the function (and the meaning) of 可 here: 他可不敢得罪? I ask because for me the sentence makes the same sense without it:

他可不敢得罪: He cannot dare to offend

他不敢得罪: He doesn't dare to offend

At least in my feeling in English, the verb "to dare" is enough, it doesn't need the help of "can" to make sense... I can dare... Can is a modal verb while dare is semi-modal. That's why I am perplexed.

**Tags:** grammar, meaning, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's an intensifier: "really, indeed". "At all", since it's in the negative.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-12-20. Score: 5

As username_1 username_1 said in his comment, 可 is a common intensifier.

可:表示强调：他可好了。

他可不敢得罪.  
He absolutely doesn't dare offend.  
(Maybe he is abnormally afraid of rejection, or maybe he will go back to prison if he is in any way remiss.)

我？失败？我可不这样认为。  
Me? Fail? I really don't think so.

这可不好。  
That is really bad.

那可不一样。  
That is completely different.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2023-12-20. Score: 3

This 可 is an adverb used for emphasis (it's a separate definition to the 可 in 可以, 可能, etc.); the Pleco dictionary "GF" gives this definition:

> 用于一般陈述句，表示强调。  
> Used in ordinary declarative sentences, expresses emphasis.

It's similar to how 就 in 就是 etc. and 并 in 并不 are used.

As a funny example, I remember one time when one of my Chinese friends was once asked if he's a foreigner, and he replied something like:

> 我**可**不是外国人。  
> I'm **certainly** not a foreigner

He's not only not a foreigner, he's local to the area, and in the middle of a conversation in Chinese as a native Chinese speaker, so he was rather surprised by the question.

So maybe a reasonable English translation of the given sentence is:

> ……，他**可**不敢得罪。  
> ..., he **certainly** dare not offend.

Another example you might have encountered if you play the game Genshin Impact (原神) is 安柏 saying:

> 我**可**是蒙德城的飞行冠军！ ([video](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1dK411A7B4/))  
> I am **indeed** Mondstadt's flying champion.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2023-12-20. Score: 1

How to understand "他可不敢得罪?"

First, the sentence uses an inversed word order. The subject is missing. I guess it could be "我" or "你". **得罪** (offend) is the verb. **他** is the object. Besically this sentence means "我不敢得罪他" = "对他, 我不敢得罪".

Second, what is the function of "**可**"?

In affirmative sentences, **可** = **可以**, which means "possible" or "possibly".

In negative sentences, **不可** = **可不** = **不可以**, which means "not possible", "impossible", or "unthinkable ". **可不** is in an even stronger mood. For example,

你不可以去. = You could not go there.

你可不能去. = You must not go there.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: The full passage is "大导演非常着急，一来，耽误了时间，日程就得重新安排；二来，会因为费用增加而让投资人不高兴，至于这部影片的投资人，可是一位大人物，他可不敢得罪。" 他 refers to 大导演, not the investor.  
> **username_4**: I see. 至于投资人 (一位大人物)，他(大导演)可不敢得罪. "投资人" is the topic (usually object). 他 is the subject. 他不敢得罪投资人. Thanks.  

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