Taxonomy of meanings for 克:　　

  • ABLE
    • vibe capable and efficient
    • vt+V[0]archaic: be capable of V-ing; be able to overcome the task of V-ing, have the stamina and power to; manage the difficult task of V-ing
    • PROBABLE
      • SUCCEED
        • vt(oN)succeed in the contextually determinate matter N
        • vtoNsucceed in carrying through
      • SURPASS
        • CONQUER
          • vtoNconquer the place N
          • vt(oN)figurativeovercome
          • vtoNreflexive己：conquerCH
        • COMPETE

          Additional information about 克

          說文解字:

            Criteria
          • ABLE

            [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

            [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

            [DIFFICULT/EASY]

            [ENDOGENIC/EXOGENIC]

            [EMOTIONAL/UNEMOTIONAL]

            [INCIDENTAL/INHERENT]

            [INNATE/ACQUIRED]

            [LASTING!/TEMPORARY]

            [PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL]

            [PRACTICAL/THEORETICAL]

            1. The commonest word is néng 能 "have an inherent capacity for, have the personal ability to".

            [CURRENT], [ENDOGENIC], [GRADED], [LASTING]

            2. Kě yǐ 可以 "be in an objective position to, have the possibility to".

            [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [EXOGENIC], [TEMPORARY!]

            3. Zú yǐ 足以 emphasises sufficiency of conditions necessary to get something done.

            [CURRENT], [GRADED], [INHERENT], [PHYSICAL]

            4. Kè 克 typically comes to emphasise the ability to do something difficult in post-archaic times, but the word was equivalent to néng 能 in early texts.

            [ABSOLUTE], [ARCHAIC], [INCIDENTAL], [TEMPORARY], [PHYSICAL]

            5. Rén 任 emphasises a general qualification to achieve something worth achieving and not obviously easy to achieve.

            [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [ENDOGENIC], [TEMPORARY]

            6. Kān 堪 typically refers to the ability to do something others might not be willing or psychologically able to do.

            [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [EMOTIONAL], [ENDOGENIC], [PSYCHOLOGICAL]

            7. Jì 技 "expertise, know-how" refers to the talents for crafts and the like, and the word is not normally used as a verb. See SKILL.

            [ACQUIRED], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [GRADED], [LASTING], [PRACTICAL]

            8. Lì 力 "strength" is sometimes used to refer to an ability to do something which in some sense requires strength.

            9. Zhī 知 refers to the intellectual ability to do something, especially to do something that is not intellectually trivial.

            10. Jì néng 技能 refers to a lasting acquired skill.

            NB: Dé 得 "cope, show an ability to do something by actually doing it" is an achievement verb and does not belong in this group. See COPE.

          • WIN

            1. The current general word for winning or gaining the upper hand in any way, including warfare, is shèng 勝 (ant. bài 敗 "be defeated").

            2. Kè 克 (ant. shī 失 "lose in battle") refers to subduing an enemy force by military means, winning against an enemy so as to control him as a result.

            3. Qǔ 取 (ant. fù 負 "fail") refers to conquering a place so as to gain full control over it, and the word usually refers to a victory won easily.

            4. Bá 拔 and jǔ 舉 refers to conquering a place without necessarily keeping full control over it.

            5. Jié 劫 refers specifically to victory gained through ruse or indirect tactics.

          • ATTACK

            [ASCENDING/DESCENDING]

            [CIVIL/MILITARY]

            [COMMENDATORY/DEROGATORY]

            [COVERT/OVERT]

            [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

            [LARGE-SCALE/SMALL-SCALE]

            1. The general word for any attack is gōng 攻 (ant. shǒu 守 "defend"; success kè 克 ) which can be used in a general sense referring to all kinds of attack, although that word does also have the specific meaning of a pointed campaign against a certain locality. (Note 戰必勝，攻必克。 )

            [GENERAL]

            2. Fá 伐 refers to a large-scale typically destructive formal attack by one state on another, typically formally announced, and with much beating of drums.

            [DESCENDING], [MILITARY!], [LARGE-SCALE!], [OVERT]

            3. Qīn 侵 refers to a less formal attack, typically unannounced beforehand, and typically aimed at taking the enemy's territory.

            [COVERT!], [DEROGATORY], [MILITARY], [SPECIFIC]

            4. Xí 襲 refers to a surreptitious attack, on the sly, without any self-righteous pomp.

            [COVERT+], [MILITARY], [SPECIFIC]

            5. Zhēng 征 refers to a typically punitive campain of some size against a state, construed as being of lower status.

            [COMMENDATORY], [DESCENDING], [MILITARY], [LARGE-SCALE], [OVERT]

            6. Tǎo 討 refers to a an extended explicitly punitive campaign by someone who construes himself as being in moral authority and entitled to uphold rectitude and morality through warfare. (Also figurative as in 天討有罪 "Heaven punishes those who are guilty". See PUNISH)

            [COMMENDATORY], [DESCENDING+], [MILITARY], [OVERT]

            7. Wéi 圍 refers specifically to military attack by surrouding the enemy.

            [MILITARY], [OVERT], [SPECIFIC]

            8. Kòu 寇 refers derogatorily to a wanton enemy attack.

            [DEROGATORY+], [MILITARY]

            Word relations
          • Result: (CONQUER)取/ANNEX Qǔ 取 refers to successful annexation, typically of a city.
          • Result: (WIN)戰/BATTLE The general term is zhàn 戰 (ant. hé 和 "ceasing of hostilities, ceasefire") and refers to any military engagement at a given time. [GENERAL], [TEMPORARY]