开
to open; to drive; to turn on; to start
kāi
What does 开 mean?
开 (kāi) is one of the most flexible verbs in Chinese. Its core meaning is 'to open,' but native speakers extend it freely: 开门 (open a door), 开车 (drive a car), 开灯 (turn on a light), 开会 (hold a meeting), 开始 (start). English forces a different verb for each of these — open, drive, turn on, hold, start — while Chinese uses 开 because the underlying idea is the same: setting something into motion or breaking it out of a closed state. The opposite is 关 (guān, 'close / shut off'), which pairs with 开 across all these uses: 关门 close the door, 关灯 turn off the light, 关电视 turn off the TV. Register is neutral and the verb works in any context.
Character breakdown
to open; to operate; to start (simplified from 開, originally showing two hands removing a door bolt)
Memory hook: The traditional form 開 shows hands lifting a bolt off a door — the original 'open' image survives in every modern use of 开.
Example sentences
请开门。
Qǐng kāi mén.
Please open the door.
spoken
我哥哥会开车。
Wǒ gēge huì kāi chē.
My older brother can drive.
spoken
天黑了，开灯吧。
Tiān hēi le, kāi dēng ba.
It's getting dark, let's turn on the light.
spoken
我们几点开始上课？
Wǒmen jǐ diǎn kāishǐ shàng kè?
What time do we start class?
neutral
Common phrases with 开
Synonyms
打开 is 'open up' for physical objects, files, apps, and packages: 打开盒子 (open the box), 打开手机 (unlock the phone). 开 alone is broader and more idiomatic for habitual actions like 开门, 开车.
开始 specifically means 'to start / begin' as a compound verb and noun: 开始上课 (class starts). 开 by itself can also mean 'start,' but 开始 is the unambiguous word for beginnings.
Don't confuse 开 with
关 is the direct opposite — close / shut off. 开门 open the door, 关门 close the door. 开灯 turn on the light, 关灯 turn off the light.
看 (look / read / watch) and 开 are visually similar to beginners. 看 has 目 (eye) on the left; 开 does not.