开始開始 kāishǐ — to begin, to start
kāishǐ (first tone, high and level)kai1shi3
Traditional: 開始
to begin, to start
HSK 2· HSK 1–6 (classic)Level 3· 2021 three-band, nine-level proficiency standardverbnoun
Meanings
to begin, to start
To start. It can stand alone (电影开始了) or introduce the activity that begins (开始上课, 开始学习汉语), in which case a second verb follows it directly.
verbthe beginning, the start
noun
Character breakdown
Example sentences
- 我们八点开始上课。我們八點開始上課。Wǒmen (third tone, dipping) bā (first tone, high and level) diǎn (third tone, dipping) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) shàng (fourth tone, falling) kè. (fourth tone, falling)···
Our class starts at eight.
- 电影已经开始了。電影已經開始了。Diànyǐng (fourth tone, falling) yǐjīng (third tone, dipping) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)···
The film has already started.
Common mistakes
Not quite我开始了学习汉语。
Correct我开始学习汉语了。
了 does not squeeze in between 开始 and the verb it introduces. It goes at the end of the sentence, where it reports the change of situation.
Similar words
Words containing 开
- 开開kāi (first tone, high and level)to open
- 离开離開líkāi (second tone, rising)to leave, to depart from
- 打开打開dǎ (third tone, dipping) kāi (first tone, high and level)to open
- 公开公開gōng (first tone, high and level) kāi (first tone, high and level)public
- 开车開車kāi (first tone, high and level) chē (first tone, high and level)to drive a car
- 开发開發kāi (first tone, high and level) fā (first tone, high and level)to exploit (a resource)
- 开放開放kāi (first tone, high and level) fàng (fourth tone, falling)to bloom
- 展开展開zhǎn (third tone, dipping) kāi (first tone, high and level)to unfold
- 分开分開fēn (first tone, high and level) kāi (first tone, high and level)to separate
- 开口開口kāi (first tone, high and level) kǒu (third tone, dipping)to open one's mouth
- 改革开放改革開放gǎi (third tone, dipping) gé (second tone, rising) kāi (first tone, high and level) fàng (fourth tone, falling)to reform and open to the outside world
- 开玩笑開玩笑kāi (first tone, high and level) wán (second tone, rising) xiào (fourth tone, falling)to play a joke
- 召开召開zhào (fourth tone, falling) kāi (first tone, high and level)to convene (a conference or meeting)
- 开会開會kāi (first tone, high and level) huì (fourth tone, falling)to hold a meeting
- 开通開通kāi (first tone, high and level) tōng (first tone, high and level)to open (a new road or railway line); to set up (a hotline); to launch (a service); to subscribe to (a members-only service)
- 开工開工kāi (first tone, high and level) gōng (first tone, high and level)to begin work (of a factory or engineering operation)
- 拉开拉開lā (first tone, high and level) kāi (first tone, high and level)to pull open