Skip to content
HSK 2.0 Level 6+ HSK 3.0 Level 7–9+ 5 min read

可A可B for “Either Way Is Fine”

Use 可有可无 and 可长可短 to say either option works, or that something doesn’t really matter.

Pattern

可 + A + 可 + B (A and B are opposites); 可 + verb + 可不 + verb

可A可B means “it can be A or it can be B”: either way is acceptable, so the choice is open or the thing is not very important.

这个功能可有可无，很少有人用。

When to use 可A可B for “Either Way Is Fine”

可 means “can, may.” 可A可B puts it before two opposite words: “it can be A, it can also be B.” 可长可短 “can be long or short,” 可多可少 “can be more or less.” The message is that there is no fixed rule, so either way is fine.

作文没有字数要求，可长可短，把事情写清楚就行。

The essay has no word limit. It can be long or short, as long as you explain things clearly.

这件事可大可小，你最好早点告诉老师。

This could turn into a big deal or stay small, so you’d better tell the teacher soon.

这个会你可去可不去，看你自己。

You can go to this meeting or not; it’s up to you.

这本书可买可不买，你可以先去图书馆借来看看。

You don’t really need to buy this book. You could borrow it from the library first.

Common traps

  • 可A可B means “either is OK,” not “neither”; for “just right,” use 不A不B (不大不小).
  • 可有可无 can sound dismissive when used about a person; use it for things and features.
  • In the verb variant, put 不 only in the second half: 可去可不去, not 可不去可去.

Targeted drill

Practice this exact pattern before moving on.

这件事可大可 ，你最好早点告诉老师

This could turn into a big deal or stay small, so you’d better tell the teacher soon
Fill in the missing piece, then press Enter

How we make our content