开 (kāi): The Chinese Character for open
open
开 means “open” in Chinese. It is pronounced kāi. Listen to the sound above, then learn an everyday use below.
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How to write 开
Stroke order
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One way to use 开.
开 (kāi) means open. The expression 开门 (kāi mén) means “open the door”. Here 开门 means physically opening a door; it does not describe business hours. Example sentence: 请开门。 Qǐng kāi mén. — Please open the door.
Remember 开 Through a Story: A Hand at the Door
1 min illustrated story · A fictional memory aid for 开
Alex had carried two grocery bags all the way home without stopping. At the building entrance, he balanced them beside the door and found his key. The lock turned easily. Pulling the door toward him was harder with both hands full.
He tried catching the handle with his elbow. The bag on that arm swung against his knee, so he stopped before the eggs could hit the frame. There was a dry patch beside the entrance where he could put a bag down.
Before he bent to do that, his neighbour arrived from inside. She saw the bags, pushed the entrance door open from inside, and held it while Alex stepped through. Alex thanked her and carried both bags across the threshold.
Once inside, he set the groceries on the hall bench and took back his key. The neighbour let the door swing gently closed behind them. Upstairs, the eggs reached the kitchen intact. A free hand had made the opening simple.
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