克

Traditionally analyzed as ideogrammatic compound:

古 (옛 고) — “old, longstanding, enduring”

儿 (어진 사람 인) — person; human figure

Combined meaning:

- “A person who endures for a long time overcomes.”

- endurance → victory.

This interprets 克 as victory through persistence, not brute force.

Oracle and bronze forms show a person with a downward-pressing force or enduring stance. Over time, the semantic nuance “overcome / win” became canonical.

In Korean, 克(극) is used primarily in formal, academic, martial, and moral vocabulary meaning overcoming, conquering, enduring.

Overcoming / conquering:

克服 (극복) — 어려움을 이겨냄; to overcome; to surmount

戰克 (전극) — 싸워 이김; to win in battle

自克 (자극) — 자신을 이김; self-overcoming

Ability / competence:

克能 (극능) — 능히 할 수 있음; capable; able (classical)

克堪 (극감) — 감당할 수 있음; able to bear

克當 (극당) — 맡을 만함; fit to undertake

Self-restraint / moral discipline:

克己 (극기) — 자기를 이김; self-control; self-conquest

克勤 (극근) — 부지런함을 이김; to surpass through diligence

克儉 (극검) — 절약함; to overcome excess through frugality

Endurance:

克終 (극종) — 끝까지 해냄; to persist to the end

克難 (극난) — 난관을 극복함; to overcome difficulty

Modern Chinese usage (for reference):

克 = gram (g)

克 = to restrain; to overpower (ex: “制克”)

克 = transliteration for k (“克羅埃西亞” = Croatia)

克 vs 剋:

Mainland China & Korea: 克 is standard.

Taiwan & Japan: 剋 used in some contexts.

“克己” is a central Confucian ethical concept meaning “Victory over one’s desires is the highest virtue.”

《論語·顔淵》 (Analects 12:1)

「克己復禮為仁。」

“To conquer oneself and return to propriety—that is benevolence” — 克 = self-conquest, self-restraint.

《書經·太甲下》 (Book of Documents)

「天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可克。」

“The misfortune Heaven sends may yet be avoided; the misfortune one causes oneself cannot be overcome.”

《左傳·僖公三十二年》 (Zuo Zhuan)

「師克在和，不在衆。」

“Victory lies in harmony, not in numbers.”

《詩經·大雅》 (The Book of Songs)

「克明其德。」

“Able to make his virtue bright” — 克 = able to.

《孟子·滕文公下》 (Mencius)

「克終者蓋寡。」

“Few are those who can persist to the end.”

These citations show the dual meaning: to overcome and to be able to.

尅 (U+5C05) — earliest form found in bronze inscriptions

剋 (U+524B) — later form with 刂 added to clarify the meaning; still used in Taiwan/Japan

Japanese distinguishes:

克 — overcome

剋 — to carve, to engrave / to overcome (older style)