惊 jīng — to start; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm
这个消息让我很吃惊。Zhè ge xiāo xi ràng wǒ hěn chī jīng.This news surprised me a lot.
Common words: 吃惊 (chī jīng)、惊喜 (jīng xǐ)、震惊 (zhèn jīng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to start"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to start", including 惊 (jīng), 启 (qǐ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to start" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 惊 (jīng), 启 (qǐ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jīng, qǐ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 惊 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 惊 jīngto start; to be frightened; to be scared; alarmUseful words: 吃惊, 惊喜
- 启 qǐto open; to startUseful words: 启动, 启发
Common words for these 2 "to start" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 惊 (jīng) — so "to start" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
吃惊chī jīngto be startled; to be shocked; to be amazed惊喜jīng xǐnice surprise; to be pleasantly surprised震惊zhèn jīngto shock; to astonish启动qǐ dòngto start (a machine); (fig.) to set in motion; to launch (an operation); to activate (a plan)启发qǐ fāto enlighten; to explain (a text etc); to stimulate (a mental attitude); enlightenment启事qǐ shìannouncement (written, on billboard, letter, newspaper or website); to post information; a notice
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 "to start".
启 qǐ — to open; to start
新的学期就要开启了。Xīn de xué qī jiù yào kāi qǐ le.A new semester is about to begin.
Common words: 启动 (qǐ dòng)、启发 (qǐ fā)、启事 (qǐ shì)
All 2 characters
Open 惊、启 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.