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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to open" in Chinese?
打开
dǎ kāi
In Chinese, "to open" is 打开.
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Pronunciation
Say dah (falling tone) then KAY (flat, high tone). The first syllable has a sharp downward pitch, the second stays level and high.
Writing and usage
Both characters are commonly used. 打 means 'to hit or strike' and has a hand radical on the left. 开 means 'to open' and has eight strokes arranged in a simple square pattern.
Example sentence
请打开这个盒子。
Please open this box.
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How to remember 打开
Picture 'hitting' something open. The verb 打 (strike) combines with 开 (open) to create the action, like you need to give it a tap to make it open.
Related words
- to be 在 zài
- listen 听 tīng
- make 做 zuò
- put away 收起来 shōu qǐ lái
- read 读 dú
- smell 闻 wén
- stick 贴 tiē
- take 拍 pāi
- take off 脱 tuō
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 打开
How do you say "to open" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "to open" is 打开. It is a noun.
How is 打开 written in Chinese?
Both characters are commonly used. 打 means 'to hit or strike' and has a hand radical on the left. 开 means 'to open' and has eight strokes arranged in a simple square pattern.
How is 打开 used in a sentence?
Use 打开 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 请打开这个盒子。 (Please open this box.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"To open" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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