開啟

简 开启 · 繁 開啟
Mandarin · pinyin kāi qǐ

Meanings

  1. to start; to begin; to initiate (an era, process, journey etc)
  2. (computing) to enable (a feature)
  3. (of a system or device) to start operating automatically; to self-initiate
  4. to open (sth that has been sealed)
Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

開
kāi · open; initiate, begin, start
啟
Look up this written character
开
kāi · open; initiate, begin, start
启
qǐ · open; begin, commence; explain
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–3 · kai1 qi3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

3character links
Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗
Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

開啟 · find source passages ↗ · 开启 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

  1. to open (a door, window, etc.)
  2. to start (a machine or device)
  3. to kick off (a new era, etc.); to launch

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

開啟 · kai1 qi3
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 113,585
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record開啟 开启 [kai1 qi3] /to start; to begin; to initiate (an era, process, journey etc)/(computing) to enable (a feature)/(of a system or device) to start operating automatically; to self-initiate/to open (sth that has been sealed)/