kāi: 开 - Open, Start, Turn On

• Keywords: kai Chinese, kai meaning, Chinese character for open, how to use kai, 开 pinyin, start in Chinese, turn on in Chinese, drive a car in Chinese, 开车, 开始, 开心, HSK 1 verbs, basic Chinese characters.
• Summary: Discover the meaning and usage of “开” (kāi), one of the most fundamental and versatile characters in Mandarin Chinese. This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners on how to use “开” to say “open,” “start,” “turn on,” and even “drive.” Learn through practical examples, cultural insights, and common mistakes to master this essential HSK 1 verb and unlock a new level of fluency.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): kāi
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: To open, to start, to turn on, or to operate.
• In a Nutshell: “开” (kāi) is a core action verb that signifies a transition from a closed, off, or inactive state to an open, on, or active one. Think of it as the universal “on switch” in Chinese. Whether you're physically opening a door, flipping a light switch, starting a meeting, or driving a car, “开” is the go-to verb. Its simplicity and wide range of applications make it one of the most important characters for any beginner to learn.

• 开 (kāi): The modern, simplified character is a visual mnemonic. You can see it as a representation of a gate or door (门 - mén), where the horizontal bar (一) that once locked it has been lifted or removed, thus “opening” it.
• Traditional Form: 開: The traditional character provides more historical context. It is composed of 門 (mén), meaning “door,” and an inner component 幵 (jiān) which originally depicted two hands (廾) lifting a latch (一), signifying the act of unlatching a gate. The modern character “开” preserves this core idea in a much simpler form.

Essentially, both forms convey the same core image: a barrier being removed to create an opening.

The concept of “opening” (开) carries a very positive and auspicious connotation in Chinese culture, often associated with new beginnings, prosperity, and opportunity. For example, the opening of a new business, 开业 (kāiyè), is a major event celebrated with loud firecrackers, red banners, and lion dances to scare away bad spirits and welcome good fortune. This is a much more significant cultural event than a “grand opening” in the West. Figuratively, “开” represents a mental or social opening. To be 开心 (kāixīn), or “happy,” literally means to have an “open heart.” To become suddenly enlightened or clever is to 开窍 (kāiqiào), or have one's “orifices opened.” Compared to English, the versatility of “开” is a key difference. In English, we use distinct verbs for different actions: open a box, turn on a TV, start a car, hold a meeting. In Chinese, “开” can cover all of these, demonstrating a linguistic focus on the shared underlying action—initiating something or moving it from “off” to “on.” This highlights the contextual nature of the Chinese language.

“开” is used constantly in everyday life. Its meaning is determined by the noun that follows it.

This is the most literal meaning.

• 开门 (kāi mén): to open a door
• 开窗 (kāi chuāng): to open a window
• 开书 (kāi shū): to open a book

This is extremely common for any electronics or machinery.

• 开灯 (kāi dēng): to turn on a light
• 开电脑 (kāi diànnǎo): to turn on a computer
• 开空调 (kāi kōngtiáo): to turn on the air conditioner
• 开车 (kāi chē): to drive a car (lit. “operate car”)

Used for formal and informal beginnings.

• 开会 (kāi huì): to start/hold a meeting
• 开学 (kāi xué): to start a new school term/semester
• 开工 (kāi gōng): to start work (for the day or after a holiday)

Used in business and administrative contexts.

• 开公司 (kāi gōngsī): to open/start a company
• 开银行账户 (kāi yínháng zhànghù): to open a bank account

“开” is also part of many common expressions.

• 开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào): to make a joke
• 开心 (kāixīn): to be happy (used as an adjective)

• Example 1:
  • 太热了，请开一下空调。
  • Pinyin: Tài rè le, qǐng kāi yíxià kōngtiáo.
  • English: It's too hot, please turn on the air conditioner for a bit.
  • Analysis: This shows the most common usage of “开” for operating an electronic appliance. “一下 (yíxià)” softens the request.
• Example 2:
  • 你会开车吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ huì kāi chē ma?
  • English: Can you drive a car?
  • Analysis: 开车 (kāichē) is a set verb-object phrase meaning “to drive a car.” You cannot separate the two words in this context.
• Example 3:
  • 我们明天早上九点开会。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen míngtiān zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn kāi huì.
  • English: We will hold a meeting at 9 AM tomorrow morning.
  • Analysis: Here, 开会 (kāihuì) means to initiate or hold a meeting. It's a standard phrase in any school or work environment.
• Example 4:
  • 别生气，我只是在跟你开玩笑。
  • Pinyin: Bié shēngqì, wǒ zhǐshì zài gēn nǐ kāi wánxiào.
  • English: Don't be angry, I was just joking with you.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the abstract use of “开”. 开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào) is a fixed expression for “to joke” or “to kid.”
• Example 5:
  • 请把门开一下，谢谢。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ mén kāi yíxià, xièxie.
  • English: Please open the door, thank you.
  • Analysis: A classic example of “开” for a physical action. The 把 (bǎ) structure emphasizes the action's effect on the object (the door).
• Example 6:
  • 春天来了，花儿都开了。
  • Pinyin: Chūntiān lái le, huār dōu kāi le.
  • English: Spring is here, the flowers have all bloomed.
  • Analysis: In this context, “开” means “to bloom” or “to blossom.” It's a beautiful, natural extension of the “opening” concept.
• Example 7:
  • 他计划明年开一家自己的咖啡店。
  • Pinyin: Tā jìhuà míngnián kāi yì jiā zìjǐ de kāfēi diàn.
  • English: He plans to open his own coffee shop next year.
  • Analysis: Shows “开” used for establishing a business. Here it means to found or launch.
• Example 8:
  • 收到你的礼物，我真的很开心！
  • Pinyin: Shōudào nǐ de lǐwù, wǒ zhēn de hěn kāixīn!
  • English: I'm really so happy to have received your gift!
  • Analysis: 开心 (kāixīn), literally “open heart,” is one of the most common ways to say “happy” or “glad.” It functions as a stative verb/adjective. Note that 开 here is part of a compound word, not a standalone verb.
• Example 9:
  • 你什么时候开始学中文的？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shénme shíhou kāishǐ xué Zhōngwén de?
  • English: When did you start learning Chinese?
  • Analysis: 开始 (kāishǐ) is a crucial compound word meaning “to begin” or “to start.” It is often used before another verb.
• Example 10:
  • 这家商店早上十点开门。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā shāngdiàn zǎoshang shí diǎn kāi mén.
  • English: This store opens at 10 AM.
  • Analysis: 开门 (kāimén) can mean literally “to open a door,” but here it means “to open for business.” The opposite is 关门 (guānmén).

• Mistake 1: Using 开 for “off”.
  • A very common beginner mistake is to use “开” for both “on” and “off.” The direct antonym of “开” is 关 (guān), which means to close, to shut, or to turn off.
  • Incorrect: `请开电视，我想睡觉了。` (Please turn on the TV, I want to sleep.)
  • Correct: `请关电视，我想睡觉了。` (Please turn off the TV, I want to sleep.)
• Mistake 2: Confusing 开 (kāi) and 开始 (kāishǐ).
  • While both relate to starting, they are not always interchangeable.
  • 开 (kāi) usually needs an object, often a noun, to specify what is being started or opened (e.g., 开 + 会, 开 + 车, 开 + 门).
  • 开始 (kāishǐ) is a more general word for “to begin.” It can be followed by a verb phrase or even stand alone.
  • Incorrect: `我们开吧！` (Intending to say “Let's start!”)
  • Correct: `我们开始吧！` (Let's start!)
  • Correct: `电影开始了。` (The movie has started.)
• Mistake 3: Over-translating from English “open”.
  • You cannot “open” an investigation with “开”. You would use 展开调查 (zhǎnkāi diàochá). You cannot “open” a file on a computer by saying “开文件”, you would say 打开文件 (dǎkāi wénjiàn), where “打 (dǎ)” adds a sense of action. While “开” is versatile, it has its own specific collocations you need to learn.

• 关 (guān) - The direct antonym of 开. It means to close, to shut, or to turn off.
• 开始 (kāishǐ) - A common compound word meaning “to start” or “to begin.” It's more formal and versatile for starting actions than using 开 alone.
• 开心 (kāixīn) - A stative verb/adjective meaning “happy” or “glad” (literally “open-heart”).
• 开车 (kāichē) - A set verb phrase meaning “to drive a car.”
• 开会 (kāihuì) - A set verb phrase meaning “to hold a meeting.”
• 离开 (líkāi) - To leave; to depart from. In this word, 开 acts as a resultative complement, indicating separation.
• 开放 (kāifàng) - An adjective meaning “open-minded” (for a person) or “open to the public” (for a policy or place).
• 公开 (gōngkāi) - An adjective meaning “public” or “open” (in the sense of not being secret).
• 打开 (dǎkāi) - To open up (often with more force or action than just 开). Used for things like opening a computer file, an umbrella, or a package.
• 开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào) - A common phrase meaning “to joke” or “to kid around.”