kāi

open

Pictograph of two hands () opening the bolt () on a door ().

Components
門 iconic component

  Iconic component

mén

  

door

◎ iconic component

  Iconic component

  

characterless component

Depicts a bolt on a door.

廾 iconic component

  Iconic component

gǒng

  

two hands

Evolution

開 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
開 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
開 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

kāi

open; initiate, begin, start; to open; to start; to turn on; to boil; to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc); to operate (a vehicle); carat (gold); abbr. for Kelvin, 開爾文|开尔文[Kāi​'ěr​wén]; abbr. for 開本|开本[kāi​běn], book format

Most common words with 開
Freq.
Word
Meaning

开始

to begin

to open

离开

to depart

开心

to feel happy

开发

to develop