开 (kāi) is a Chinese character meaning “to open”. It is written from 一 (one) and 廾 (two hands raised together), one above the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “to open”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
一 + 廾
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱一廾（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 四笔笔顺核验：第 1 笔为上横，第 2–4 笔构成廾）
Memory aid
Two hands (廾) reach up and lift the bar (一) that was holding the door shut — and it opens.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 开心kāi xīnhappy; glad; to have a good time开 = kāi
- 开门kāi ménto open the door; to open for business开 = kāi
- 分开fēn kāito separate; to part; to divide up开 = kāi
- 切开qiē kāito cut something open开 = kāi
- 召开zhào kāito convene (a meeting); to hold (a conference)开 = kāi
- 开会kāi huìto hold or attend a meeting开 = kāi
- 开启kāi qǐto open; to start up开 = kāi
- 开拓kāi tuòto open up; to break new ground; to pioneer开 = kāi
- 开车kāi chēto drive (a vehicle)开 = kāi
- 扒开bā kāito push apart; to pry open开 = kāi
- 打开dǎ kāito open; to turn on; to unfold开 = kāi
- 拆开chāi kāito take apart; to tear open; to dismantle开 = kāi
- 拉开lā kāito pull open; to pull apart开 = kāi
- 拧开nǐng kāito twist open; to unscrew开 = kāi
- 甩开shuǎi kāito shake off; to throw off开 = kāi
- 让开ràng kāito get out of the way; to step aside开 = kāi
- 走开zǒu kāito go away; to get out of the way开 = kāi
- 闪开shǎn kāito dodge aside; to get out of the way开 = kāi
- 咧开liě kāito open wide; to split open (especially of the mouth)开 = kāi
- 展开zhǎn kāito unfold; to spread out; to launch开 = kāi
- 开垦kāi kěnto reclaim (land); to bring under cultivation开 = kāi
- 开始kāi shǐto begin; to start; beginning开 = kāiHSK 2
- 开采kāi cǎito mine; to extract (ore, coal, oil)开 = kāi
- 掀开xiān kāito lift open; to lift off (a lid, curtain)开 = kāi
- 揭开jiē kāito uncover; to lift the lid off; to reveal开 = kāi
- 睁开zhēng kāito open (one’s eyes)开 = kāi
- 离开lí kāito leave; to depart开 = kāi
Go deeper
All readings
to open
to open; to turn on; to start; to drive (a vehicle); to hold (a meeting)
把关闭的东西打开；启动、发动；开始或举行。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 开心kāi xīnhappy; glad; to have a good time开 = kāi
- 开门kāi ménto open the door; to open for business开 = kāi
- 分开fēn kāito separate; to part; to divide up开 = kāi
- 切开qiē kāito cut something open开 = kāi
- 召开zhào kāito convene (a meeting); to hold (a conference)开 = kāi
- 开会kāi huìto hold or attend a meeting开 = kāi
- 开启kāi qǐto open; to start up开 = kāi
- 开拓kāi tuòto open up; to break new ground; to pioneer开 = kāi
- 开车kāi chēto drive (a vehicle)开 = kāi
- 扒开bā kāito push apart; to pry open开 = kāi
- 打开dǎ kāito open; to turn on; to unfold开 = kāi
- 拆开chāi kāito take apart; to tear open; to dismantle开 = kāi
- 拉开lā kāito pull open; to pull apart开 = kāi
- 拧开nǐng kāito twist open; to unscrew开 = kāi
- 甩开shuǎi kāito shake off; to throw off开 = kāi
- 让开ràng kāito get out of the way; to step aside开 = kāi
- 走开zǒu kāito go away; to get out of the way开 = kāi
- 闪开shǎn kāito dodge aside; to get out of the way开 = kāi
- 咧开liě kāito open wide; to split open (especially of the mouth)开 = kāi
- 展开zhǎn kāito unfold; to spread out; to launch开 = kāi
- 开垦kāi kěnto reclaim (land); to bring under cultivation开 = kāi
- 开始kāi shǐto begin; to start; beginning开 = kāiHSK 2
- 开采kāi cǎito mine; to extract (ore, coal, oil)开 = kāi
- 掀开xiān kāito lift open; to lift off (a lid, curtain)开 = kāi
- 揭开jiē kāito uncover; to lift the lid off; to reveal开 = kāi
- 睁开zhēng kāito open (one’s eyes)开 = kāi
- 离开lí kāito leave; to depart开 = kāi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 开 mean?
开 (kāi) means to open; to turn on; to start; to drive (a vehicle); to hold (a meeting).
How do you pronounce 开?
It is pronounced kāi.
What parts is 开 made of?
一 (one) and 廾 (two hands raised together), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱一廾（已对照 hanzi-writer-data 四笔笔顺核验：第 1 笔为上横，第 2–4 笔构成廾）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 开 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 开?
廾. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 开?
Common ones are 开心 and 开门. The reading of 开 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.