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開門紅

简开门红 · 繁開門紅

Mandarin · pinyin kāi mén hóng

a good beginning

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Characters in this entry

開: kāi · open; initiate, begin, start
門: mén · gate, door, entrance, opening; Kangxi radical 169
紅: hóng · red, vermillion; blush, flush
开: kāi · open; initiate, begin, start
门: mén · gate, door, entrance, opening
红: hóng · red, vermillion; blush, flush

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2–2 · kai1 men2 hong2

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

noun

successful beginning
(figuratively, humorous) failing the first exam

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

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