Dictionary › 开

开

kāi

Old HSK 1 HSK 3.0 character level 1 Character Traditional 開

开 (kāi) means "to open (transitive or intransitive)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 1 word, and was HSK 1 in the old six-level list.

What 开 means

1. to open (transitive or intransitive)
2. (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start
3. to turn on; to put in operation; to operate; to run
4. to boil
5. to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc)
6. (directional complement) away; off
7. carat (gold)
8. abbr. for Kelvin, {开尔文|Kāi ěr wén}
9. abbr. for {开本|kāi běn}, book format

How 开 is used in grammar

开 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Advanced resultatives: 住/成/开/清楚 (HSK 4)

Example sentences

• 让开。
  Ràngkāi.
  Step aside.
• 滚开！
  Gǔnkāi!
  Get lost!
• 开火！
  Kāihuǒ!
  Open fire!
• 开门！
  Open up.
• 开啊！
  Open up.
• 开始！
  Action!

Words starting with 开

• 开始kāi shǐto begin; beginning; to start
• 开玩笑kāi wán xiàoto play a joke; to make fun of; to joke
• 开发kāi fāto exploit (a resource); to open up (for development); to develop
• 开心kāi xīnto feel happy; to rejoice; to have a great time
• 开放kāi fàngto bloom; to open; to be open (to the public)
• 开幕式kāi mù shìopening ceremony
• 开展kāi zhǎnto launch; to develop; to unfold
• 开水kāi shuǐboiled water; boiling water
• 开除kāi chúto expel (a member of an organization); to fire (an employee)
• 开支kāi zhīexpenditures; expenses; to spend money; (colloquial) to pay wages
• 开朗kāi lǎngspacious and well-lit; open and clear; (of character) optimistic
• 开拓kāi tuòto break new ground (for agriculture); to open up (a new seam)…
• 开阔kāi kuòwide; open (spaces); to open up
• 开辟kāi pìto open up; to create; to establish
• 开采kāi cǎito extract (ore or other resource from a mine); to exploit; to mine
• 开明kāi míngenlightened; open-minded; enlightenment
• 开车kāi chēto drive a car (or train etc); (slang) to post sexual content online…
• 开口kāi kǒuto open one's mouth; to start to talk
• 开门kāi mén(lit. and fig.) to open a door; to open for business
• 开会kāi huìto hold a meeting; to attend a meeting
• 开学kāi xué(of a student) to start school; (of a semester) to begin; (old) to found a school
• 开设kāi shèto offer (goods or services); to open (for business etc)
• 开头kāi tóubeginning; to start
• 开发商kāi fā shāngdeveloper (of real estate, a commercial product etc)

Words containing 开

• 离开lí kāito depart; to leave
• 打开dǎ kāito open; to show (a ticket); to turn on
• 公开gōng kāiopen; overt; public; to make public; to release
• 召开zhào kāito convene (a conference or meeting); to convoke; to call together
• 展开zhǎn kāito unfold; to spread out; to open up; to launch; to carry out
• 敞开chǎng kāito open wide; unrestrictedly
• 盛开shèng kāiblooming; in full flower
• 继往开来jì wǎng kāi láito follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition…
• 分开fēn kāito separate; to part
• 拉开lā kāito pull open; to pull apart; to space out
• 推开tuī kāito push open (a gate etc); to push away; to reject
• 放开fàng kāito let go; to release
• 张开zhāng kāito open up; to spread; to extend
• 走开zǒu kāito leave; to walk away; to beat it; to move aside
• 睁开zhēng kāito open (one's eyes)
• 离不开lí bu kāiinseparable; inevitably linked to
• 避开bì kāito avoid; to evade; to keep away from
• 解开jiě kāito untie; to undo; to solve (a mystery)
• 揭开jiē kāito uncover; to open
• 翻开fān kāito open up
• 松开sōng kāito release; to let go; to loosen
• 公开信gōng kāi xìnopen letter
• 拆开chāi kāito dismantle; to disassemble; to open up (sth sealed)
• 躲开duǒ kāito stay out of (hot water, trouble, awkward situation etc); to avoid (sb)

Characters that look like 开

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 介jièto introduce; to lie between; between
• 升shēngto ascend; to rise; to promote; to elevate; liter
• 丹dānred; pellet; powder
• 井jǐnga well; neat; orderly
• 卉huìplants
• 夯hāngto ram; to tamp; a rammer; a tamper; excellent; exceptionally good

Sounds the same

Read kāi, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 揩to wipe
• 锎californium (chemistry)

Where 开 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Everyday Actions (HSK 1), HSK 1 Characters · Set 7 (HSK 1), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 1 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read kāi correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.