开 kāi open
open; to turn on; to start; to drive
How to remember 开: 一 one + 廾 two hands = open. There is one jar of pickles nobody can manage, until grandma grabs it with two hands and twists it open.
Component breakdown
开 = 一 one + 廾 two hands
- 一 one
- 廾 two hands
There is one jar of pickles nobody can manage, until grandma grabs it with two hands and twists it open.
How it came to be
The full form is a gate with two hands underneath, lifting the bar out of its brackets. Simplification threw the gate away and kept the two hands and the bar.
How it is used
- Open / turn on / start / drive - 开门 (kāimén) open the door, 开车 (kāichē) drive, 开灯 (kāidēng) switch the light on, 开始 (kāishǐ) begin.
- On a verb it marks separating or spreading apart - 打开 (dǎkāi) open up, 分开 (fēnkāi) separate, 离开 (líkāi) leave.
Characters built with 开
Words with 开
- 开车kāichēto drive a car (or train etc)HSK 1
- 开始kāishǐbeginHSK 2
- 开学kāixuéto start schoolHSK 2
- 打开dǎkāito openHSK 2
- 开心kāixīnfeel happyHSK 3
- 离开líkāileaveHSK 3
- 分开fēnkāito separateHSK 3
- 开会kāihuìto hold a meetingHSK 3
- 开机kāijīto start an engineHSK 3
- 开花kāihuāto bloomHSK 3
- 开玩笑kāi wánxiàojokeHSK 4
- 召开zhàokāito convene (a conference or meeting)HSK 5
- 展开zhǎnkāito unfoldHSK 5
- 开业kāiyèto open a businessHSK 5
- 开发kāifāto exploit (a resource)HSK 5
- 开展kāizhǎnto launchHSK 5
- 开幕kāimùto open (a conference)HSK 5
- 开幕式kāimùshìopening ceremonyHSK 5
- 开放kāifàngto bloomHSK 5
- 开水kāishuǐboiled waterHSK 5
- 开通kāitōngto open (a new road or railway line)HSK 5
- 公开gōngkāiopenHSK 6
- 开关kāiguānpower switchHSK 6
- 开创kāichuàngto initiateHSK 6
- 开启kāiqǐto startHSK 6
- 开头kāitóubeginningHSK 6
- 开设kāishèto offer (goods or services)HSK 6
- 开办kāibànto openHSK 7
- 开动kāidòngto startHSK 7
- 开发区kāifāqūdevelopment zoneHSK 7
- 开发商kāifāshāngdeveloperHSK 7
- 开场kāichǎngto beginHSK 7
- 开场白kāichǎngbáiprologue of playHSK 7
- 开工kāigōngto begin workHSK 7
- 开张kāizhāngto open a businessHSK 7
- 开支kāizhīexpendituresHSK 7
- 开明kāimíngenlightenedHSK 7
- 开除kāichúto expel (a member of an organization)HSK 7
- 开垦kāikěnto clear a wild area for cultivationHSK 8
- 开天辟地kāitiān-pìdìto split heaven and earth apart (idiom)HSK 8
Example sentences
- 开门看看。 Kāimén kànkan.Open the door and take a look.
- 请张开嘴。 Qǐng zhāngkāi zuǐ.Please open your mouth.
- 十分钟后开会。 Shí fēnzhōng hòu kāihuì.The meeting will start in 10 minutes.
- 我们正在开会。 Wǒmen zhèng zài kāihuì.We're in a meeting right now.