开 kāi — open; operate (vehicle); start
请帮我把窗户打开。Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ chuāng hu dǎ kāi.Please help me open the window.
Common words: 打开 (dǎ kāi)、开车 (kāi chē)、开玩笑 (kāi wán xiào)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "open"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "open", including 开 (kāi), 通 (tōng), 阐 (chǎn), 爽 (shuǎng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "open" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 开 (kāi), 通 (tōng), 阐 (chǎn), 爽 (shuǎng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kāi, tōng, chǎn, shuǎng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 开 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 开 kāiopen; operate (vehicle); startUseful words: 打开, 开车
- 通 tōnggo through; know well; to connect; to communicate; openUseful words: 通过, 通知
- 阐 chǎnto express; disclose; enlighten; openUseful words: 阐述, 阐发
- 爽 shuǎnginvigorating; straightforward; frank; open; bright; clearUseful words: 爽快, 凉爽
Common words for these 4 "open" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 开 (kāi) — so "open" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
打开dǎ kāito open; to show (a ticket); to turn on; to switch on开车kāi chēto drive a car (or train etc); (slang) to post sexual content online; to make a sexual joke开玩笑kāi wán xiàoto play a joke; to make fun of; to joke通过tōng guòto pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation)通知tōng zhīto notify; to inform; notice; notification普通pǔ tōngcommon; ordinary; general; average阐述chǎn shùto expound (a position); to elaborate (on a topic); to treat (a subject)阐发chǎn fāto elucidate; to expound; to study and explain阐明chǎn míngto elucidate; to explain clearly; to expound爽快shuǎng kuairefreshed; rejuvenated; frank and straightforward
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "open".
通 tōng — go through; know well; to connect; to communicate; open
这个电话打不通。Zhè ge diàn huà dǎ bu tōng.This phone call cannot get through.
Common words: 通过 (tōng guò)、通知 (tōng zhī)、普通 (pǔ tōng)
阐 chǎn — to express; disclose; enlighten; open
老师向我们阐明了这个道理。Lǎo shī xiàng wǒ men chǎn míng le zhè ge dào lǐ.The teacher explained this principle clearly to us.
Common words: 阐述 (chǎn shù)、阐发 (chǎn fā)、阐明 (chǎn míng)
爽 shuǎng — invigorating; straightforward; frank; open; bright; clear
雨过天晴，空气十分清爽。Yǔ guò tiān qíng, kōng qì shí fēn qīng shuǎng.After the rain cleared, the air is very fresh.
Common words: 爽快 (shuǎng kuai)、凉爽 (liáng shuǎng)、不爽 (bù shuǎng)
All 4 characters
Open 开、通、阐 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.