開

開 (Kangxi radical 169, 門+4, 12 strokes, cangjie input 日弓一廿 (ANMT), four-corner 7744₁, composition ⿵門开(U+958B) or ⿵門幵(U+2F9EE))

• 鐦(锎), 𢵱, 𤡲, 𣛣(𬂻), 𣾺, 𥖆, 𦼠, 𥳐, 𨷑, 𩦓, 𫔦(𬮫), 𫙸, 𫫭, 𫯿

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1331, character 5
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 41233
• Dae Jaweon: page 1835, character 15
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4286, character 2
• Unihan data for U+958B

• Unihan data for U+2F9EE

Historical forms of the character 開
Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Qin slip script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 門 (“door”) + 一 (“latch”) + 廾 (“a pair of hands”) — a pair of hands opening a latched door. 一 and 廾 are combined into 开 since the seal script.

Compare 闢.

According to STEDT, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-k(w)a-j (“mouth; opening; spread; door; face; jaw”). Cognate with 戶 (OC *ɡʷaːʔ, “door”), Tibetan ཁ (kha, “mouth”), Tibetan སྒོ (sgo, “door”).

The word is possibly a colloquial variant of 闓 (OC *ŋ̊ʰɯːlʔ, *ŋ̊ʰɯːls) (Schuessler, 2007). Proto-Mien *kʰu̯ɔiᴬ (“to open”) (whence Iu Mien kʰɔi¹) and Thai ไข (kǎi) are Chinese loans (Ratliff, 2010).

開

1. to open; to unlatch; to unfasten

   我開不到這扇門。 [MSC, trad.]
   我开不到这扇门。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ kāi budào zhè shàn mén. [Pinyin]

   I can't open the door.

   商店開到八點。／商店开到八点。  ―  Shāngdiàn kāi dào bā diǎn.  ―  The shop opens till eight o'clock.

2. to start; to turn on; to switch on

   開電燈／开电灯  ―  kāi diàndēng  ―  to switch the light on

   開電腦／开电脑  ―  kāi diànnǎo  ―  to turn on the computer

3. to make an opening; to open up

   開荒／开荒  ―  kāihuāng  ―  to open up wasteland

   開運河／开运河  ―  kāi yùnhé  ―  to dig a canal

   在牆上開個洞／在墙上开个洞  ―  zài qiáng shàng kāi ge dòng  ―  to make a hole in the wall

4. (of a flower) to open out; to bloom

   花開了。／花开了。  ―  Huā kāi le.  ―  The flower is blooming.

5. (of a frozen river) to thaw
6. to split; to divide; to cut

   一開二／一开二 [Cantonese]  ―  jat¹ hoi¹ ji⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  one split into two

7. to begin; to start

   開工／开工  ―  kāigōng  ―  to start working

   開學／开学  ―  kāixué  ―  to start school

8. to start; to set up; to open

   開間燒臘舖／开间烧腊铺 [Cantonese]  ―  hoi¹ gaan¹ siu¹ laap⁶ pou^3-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to open a roasted meats shop

   我開了個銀行帳戶。 [MSC, trad.]
   我开了个银行帐户。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ kāi le ge yínxíng zhànghù. [Pinyin]

   I opened a bank account.

9. to remove (a ban or restriction)

   開禁／开禁  ―  kāijìn  ―  to lift a ban

   開齋／开斋  ―  kāizhāi  ―  to resume a meat diet

10. to boil (bubble and turn to vapour)

    水開了沒有？／水开了没有？  ―  Shuǐ kāi le méiyǒu?  ―  Has the water boiled?

11. to write out (a prescription, check, invoice, etc.)

    開支票／开支票  ―  kāi zhīpiào  ―  to write a check

    我們開了一張學生必讀書單。 [MSC, trad.]
    我们开了一张学生必读书单。 [MSC, simp.]

    Wǒmen kāi le yī zhāng xuéshēng bìdú shūdān. [Pinyin]

    We made a list of required books for students.

    醫生開咗啲抗生素畀我。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    医生开咗啲抗生素畀我。 [Cantonese, simp.]

    ji¹ sang¹ hoi¹ zo² di¹ kong³ sang¹ sou³ bei² ngo⁵. [Jyutping]

    The doctor prescribed me some antibiotics.

12. to book (a hotel room)
13. to operate/run a business

    • 係做木匠、在前開過一間細木舖、後來亦關唨咯、而家靜靠同人做工夫嚟過日子、 [Cantonese, trad.]
      系做木匠、在前开过一间细木铺、后来亦关唨咯、而家静靠同人做工夫嚟过日子、 [Cantonese, simp.]

      From: 粵音指南·上卷, 卷之一　應對須知

      hai⁶ zou⁶ muk⁶ zoeng^6-2, zoi⁶ cin⁴ hoi¹ gwo³ jat¹ gaan¹ sai³ muk⁶ pou^3-2, hau⁶ loi⁴ jik⁶ gwaan¹ zo² lo³, ji⁴ gaa¹ zing⁶ kaau³ tung⁴ jan⁴ zou⁶ gung¹ fu¹ lai⁴ gwo³ jat⁶ zi², [Jyutping]

      He used to work as a woodworker; he had operated a small wood shop, and later closed it as well; currently he only relies on working for other people to make a living.

    • 1905, T. B. Adam, An English-Chinese dictionary of the Foochow dialect:

      Apothecary, kŭi iŏh dáing gì nè̤ng.

      (開藥店其人／开药店其人, literally, "a person who runs a pharmacy")

14. to hold (a meeting, exhibition, etc.)

    開會／开会  ―  kāihuì  ―  to hold a meeting

    開party／开party [Cantonese]  ―  hoi¹ paa¹ ti⁴ [Jyutping]  ―  to hold a party

15. to pay

    開工資／开工资  ―  kāi gōngzī  ―  to pay wages

16. to operate; to drive (a vehicle)

    開車／开车  ―  kāichē  ―  to drive a car

    開炮／开炮  ―  kāipào  ―  to fire a cannon

    船長把船開到對岸去。 [MSC, trad.]
    船长把船开到对岸去。 [MSC, simp.]

    Chuánzhǎng bǎ chuán kāi dào duì'àn qù. [Pinyin]

    The captain sailed the boat to the opposite bank.

    火車已經開了。／火车已经开了。  ―  Huǒchē yǐjīng kāi le.  ―  The train has already departed.

    開咁快做咩啫？ [Cantonese, trad.]
    开咁快做咩啫？ [Cantonese, simp.]

    hoi¹ gam³ faai³ zou⁶ me¹ zek¹? [Jyutping]

    What's the point of driving so fast?

17. (Cantonese) to make a liquid mixture

    開奶粉／开奶粉 [Cantonese]  ―  hoi¹ naai⁵ fan² [Jyutping]  ―  to make milk from formula

18. apart; away

    散開／散开  ―  sànkāi  ―  to separate and strew; to scatter; to disperse

    走開／走开  ―  zǒukāi  ―  to move out of the way

    坐開／坐开 [Cantonese]  ―  co⁵ hoi¹ [Jyutping]  ―  to sit farther away

    唔好游咁開。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    唔好游咁开。 [Cantonese, simp.]

    m⁴ hou² jau⁴ gam³ hoi¹. [Jyutping]

    Don't swim so far away.

19. (informal) Short for 開除／开除 (kāichú, “to fire; to sack; to discharge; to dismiss”).
20. (informal) to eat up
21. (Cantonese, archaic) Progressive aspect particle, used to express that an event is/was in progress.
    • 1866, 花波 [Mary Lucy French], transl., 《述史淺譯》 [Bible History for the Least and the Lowest]‎^[1], volume 3, 雙門底福音堂, page 48:

      㸃死呢、佢一日喺殿嗻拜開菩薩、仔入嚟殺死佢。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      点死呢、佢一日喺殿嗻拜开菩萨、仔入嚟杀死佢。 [Cantonese, simp.]

      dim² sei² ne¹, keoi⁵ jat¹ jat⁶ hai² din³ syu³ baai³ hoi¹ pou⁴ saat³, zai² jap⁶ lei⁴ saat³ sei² keoi⁵. [Jyutping]

      Soon after, when he [Sennacherib] was worshipping in the temple of his idol god, his sons rushed in, and smote him, and killed him. [original English]
      How did he [Sennacherib] die? One day, when he was worshipping his idol god in the temple, his sons came in and killed him. [literal English translation]

    • 1899, 馬可福音中西字 [The Gospel according to St. Mark in English and Cantonese]‎^[2], Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press, chapter 14, verse 18:

      佢哋坐在席上、食開個時、耶穌話、我實在話你知、你哋之中、有一個共我同食嘅、是必賣我呀。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      佢哋坐在席上、食开个时、耶稣话、我实在话你知、你哋之中、有一个共我同食嘅、是必卖我呀。 [Cantonese, simp.]

      keoi⁵ dei⁶ co⁵ zoi⁶ zik⁶ soeng⁶, sik⁶ hoi¹ go³ si⁴, je⁴ sou¹ waa⁶, ngo⁵ sat⁶ zoi⁶ waa⁶ nei⁵ zi¹, nei⁵ dei⁶ zi¹ zung¹, jau⁵ jat¹ go³ gung⁶ ngo⁵ tung⁴ sik⁶ ge³, si⁶ bit¹ maai⁶ ngo⁵ aa³. [Jyutping]

      And as they sat and did eat [literally, were eating], Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.

22. (Cantonese) Inceptive and continuous aspect particle, used to express that an event has started and continues on for a while.
    • 1954, 朱頂鶴, 陳雲, directed by 譚伯葉, 鄧轟, and 陳中堅, 好女十八嫁 [Eighteen Marriages of a Smart Girl], spoken by 阮母 (梁淑卿 [Leung Suk Hing]):

      人哋屋企有開事㗎，人哋娶你返去希望沖喜㗎咋。 [Cantonese, trad.]
      人哋屋企有开事㗎，人哋娶你返去希望冲喜㗎咋。 [Cantonese, simp.]

      jan⁴ dei⁶ uk¹ kei² jau⁵ hoi¹ si⁶ gaa³, jan⁴ dei⁶ cou² nei⁵ faan¹ heoi³ hei¹ mong⁶ cung¹ hei² gaa³ zaa¹. [Jyutping]

      Their family has been having issues for a while; they're marrying you into the family in hopes of warding off ills.

23. (Cantonese) Habitual aspect particle.

    你有冇食開啲乜嘢藥㗎？ [Cantonese, trad.]
    你有冇食开啲乜嘢药㗎？ [Cantonese, simp.]

    nei⁵ jau⁵ mou⁵ sik⁶ hoi¹ di¹ mat¹ je⁵ joek⁶ gaa³? [Jyutping]

    Are you taking any medications?

24. (Cantonese) Converbal aspect particle used to express a condition or rationale.

    去開買餸，幫我買樽豉油吖。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    去开买𩠌，帮我买樽豉油吖。 [Cantonese, simp.]

    heoi³ hoi¹ maai⁵ sung³, bong¹ ngo⁵ maai⁵ zeon¹ si⁶ jau⁴ aa¹. [Jyutping]

    When you go and do your groceries, buy a bottle of soy sauce for me.

25. (Chinese phonetics) Short for 開口／开口 (kāikǒu, “open-mouthed”).
26. (Hokkien) to spend (money)
27. a surname

• (to open): 闢／辟 (pì)
• (to open out): 開放／开放 (kāifàng), 放 (fàng)
• (to eat up): 吃光 (chīguāng)

• (antonym(s) of “to open, to turn on”): 關／关 (guān)
• (antonym(s) of “apart”):
  • 過來／过来 (guòlái)
  • (Cantonese) 埋 (maai4)

Others:

• → Lao: ໄຂ (khai, “open”)
• → Thai: ไข (kǎi, “open”)
• → Vietnamese: khơi
• → Zhuang: hai (“open”)

Borrowed from English K (“karat”).

開

1. karat (measure of gold purity)

開

1. (physics) Short for 開爾文／开尔文 (kāi'ěrwén, “kelvin”).

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

開

1. (dialectal Cantonese, dialectal Hakka) Perfective aspect particle.
   • (Can we date this quote?), “海南鷄飯”, 张少林 [Chong Sau Lin] (lyrics), 伍佰 [Wu Bai] (music)‎^[3]performed by 张少林 [Chong Sau Lin]:

     齐家吃开晓来称赞 [Malaysian Huiyang Hakka, simp.]
     齊家吃開曉來稱讚 [Malaysian Huiyang Hakka, trad.]

     After eating it, everyone would come to applaud

 

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

1. open

• Go-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)、け (ke)
• Kan-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
• Kun: ひらく (hiraku, 開く, Jōyō)、ひらける (hirakeru, 開ける, Jōyō)、あける (akeru, 開ける, Jōyō)、あく (aku, 開く, Jōyō)
• Nanori: さく (saku)、はる (haru)、はるき (haruki)、ひら (hira)、ひらかす (hirakasu)、ひらき (hiraki)、ひらく (hiraku)

• (antonym(s) of “to open”): 閉