开

開

kāi

一 + 廾

HSK 2.0Level 1

HSK 3.0Level 1

Definitions

kāi (verb) to open; to start

kāi (verb) to turn on; to operate (a vehicle)

kāi (verb) to boil

Etymology

Simplified form of 開. Pictograph of two hands (廾) opening the bolt (一) on a door (門). The traditional component 門 was removed for simplification.

About

开 is the simplified form of 開. Originally, 開 was a pictograph: the radical 門 represented double doors, and the inner element showed two hands (廾) opening a bolt (一) that secured them, vividly depicting the act of opening a door. The simplified character 开 removes the door radical entirely, keeping only the hands-and-bolt core. Its meaning later broadened from the physical action to include starting an activity, operating machinery, and holding public events or meetings.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我开车去上班。

Wǒ kāichē qù shàngbān.

I drive to work.

请开门让我进去。

Qǐng kāimén ràng wǒ jìnqù.

Please open the door and let me in.

学校明天开始放假。

Xuéxiào míngtiān kāishǐ fàngjià.

School starts holiday tomorrow.

春天来了，花儿都开了。

Chūntiān lái le, huār dōu kāi le.

Spring is here, and flowers are blooming.

他开发了一个新的软件。

Tā kāifā le yī gè xīn de ruǎnjiàn.

He developed a new software.

如果你不开心，可以跟我说。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù kāixīn, kěyǐ gēn wǒ shuō.

If you are unhappy, you can tell me.

改革开放政策促进了经济发展。

Gǎigé kāifàng zhèngcè cùjìn le jīngjì fāzhǎn.

The reform and opening-up policy promoted economic development.

在会议上，他公开提出了自己的观点。

Zài huìyì shàng, tā gōngkāi tíchū le zìjǐ de guāndiǎn.

At the meeting, he openly expressed his own viewpoint.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 一

Component: 廾

开