How to write 开 (kāi, “to open”)
开 (kāi), an HSK 1 character, means “to open”, “to start” and “to turn on”. The traditional form is 開, 12 strokes instead of 4. On its own it is an HSK 1 word; it also forms 开车 (“to drive a car (or train etc)”), 开学 (“to start school”) and 打开 (“to open”). Japanese keeps the traditional 開, read kai (“open”).
- Pinyin
- kāi
- Strokes
- 4
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 廾 (“two hands”)
- Traditional
- 開
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
As a top-bottom character it splits into 一 (“one”), stroke 1; 廾 (“two hands”, the radical), strokes 2–4, written the top first.
- top leftrightwards
- leftrightwards
- top leftdownwards
- topdownwards
Traditional form
- Simplified
- 开 · 4 strokes
- Traditional
- 開 · 12 strokes · see its strokes
Trace it
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Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| kāi first tone | to open (transitive or intransitive); (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start; to turn on; to put in operation; to operate; to run; to boil; to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc) | 開 | 开车 开学 打开 开始 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 435 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 开
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 开 開 | kāi | to open (transitive or intransitive); to start HSK 1 |
| 开车 開車 | kāichē | to drive a car (or train etc) HSK 1 |
| 开学 開學 | kāixué | to start school; to begin HSK 2 |
| 打开 打開 | dǎkāi | to open; to show (a ticket) HSK 2 |
| 开始 開始 | kāishǐ | to begin; to start HSK 2 |
| 分开 分開 | fēnkāi | to separate; to part HSK 3 |
| 开会 開會 | kāihuì | to hold or attend a meeting HSK 3 |
| 开机 開機 | kāijī | to start an engine; to boot up (a computer) HSK 3 |
| 开花 開花 | kāihuā | to bloom; to blossom HSK 3 |
| 离开 離開 | líkāi | to depart; to leave HSK 3 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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HSK 1, in list order: