開
简 开 · 繁 開Meanings · hoi1
- (verb) (of meeting, exhibition or events) to hold
Meanings · hoi1
- 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, 开尔文
- abbr. for 开本, book format
- to set up
- to run
- to leave
- to hold (meeting
- exhibition)
- away
- apart
- aside
- verb particle marking habitual aspect
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 開 kāi CC-CEDICT · Mandarinto open (transitive or intransitive); (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start; to turn on; to put in operation; to operate; to run; to boil; to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc); (directional complement) away; off; carat (gold); abbr. for Kelvin, 開爾文 Kāi ěr wén; …
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: kai1. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 31 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
hoi1
Cantonese word readings for 開. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- to open; to unlatch; to unfasten
- to start; to turn on; to switch on
- to make an opening; to open up
- (of a flower) to open out; to bloom
- (of a frozen river) to thaw
- to split; to divide; to cut
- to begin; to start
- to start; to set up; to open
- to remove (a ban or restriction)
- to boil (bubble and turn to vapour)
- to write out (a prescription, check, invoice, etc.)
- to book (a hotel room)
- to operate/run a business
- to hold (a meeting, exhibition, etc.)
- to pay
- to operate; to drive (a vehicle)
- (Cantonese) to make a liquid mixture
- apart; away
- (informal) short for 開除／开除 (kāichú, “to fire; to sack; to discharge; to dismiss”)
- (informal) to eat up
- (Cantonese, archaic) Progressive aspect particle, used to express that an event is/was in progress.
- (Cantonese) Inceptive and continuous aspect particle, used to express that an event has started and continues on for a while.
- (Cantonese) Habitual aspect particle.
- (Cantonese) Converbal aspect particle used to express a condition or rationale.
- (Chinese phonetics) short for 開口／开口 (kāikǒu, “open-mouthed”)
- (Hokkien) to spend (money)
- (Hokkien) to visit prostitutes
- a surname
character · Etymology 2
- karat (measure of gold purity)
character · Etymology 3
- (physics) short for 開爾文／开尔文 (kāi'ěrwén, “kelvin”)
character · Etymology 4
- (dialectal Cantonese, dialectal Hakka) Perfective aspect particle.
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack