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 "start"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "start", including 开 (kāi), 隆 (lōng / lóng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "start" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 开 (kāi), 隆 (lōng / lóng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kāi, lōng, lóng — 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
- 隆 lōng / lóngsound of drums; grand; intense; prosperous; start (a fire)Useful words: 隆重, 兴隆
Common words for these 2 "start" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 开 (kāi) — so "start" 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隆重lóng zhònggrand; prosperous; ceremonious; solemn兴隆xīng lóngprosperous; thriving; flourishing克隆kè lóng(biology) (loanword) to clone; a clone; (fig.) to make an identical copy of (a website etc)
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 2 ways to say "start".
隆 lōng / lóng — sound of drums; grand; intense; prosperous; start (a fire)
这家新店的开张典礼很隆重。Zhè jiā xīn diàn de kāi zhāng diǎn lǐ hěn lóng zhòng.The grand opening of this new shop was very ceremonious.
Common words: 隆重 (lóng zhòng)、兴隆 (xīng lóng)、克隆 (kè lóng)
All 2 characters
Open 开、隆 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.