Readings: カイ (Onyomi), ひら.く, ひら.ける, あ.く, あ.ける (Kunyomi)
Meaning: open, start, begin, develop
The character 開 is a phono-semantic compound. It combines 門 (もん), meaning “gate,” as the semantic component, and 幵 (けん), meaning “level” or “even,” which acts as the phonetic component and also visually suggests “two hands working together.” Together, it depicts the action of opening a gate.
View JLPT N4 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 開 has 12 strokes. It begins with the “gate” radical 門, which is drawn first, followed by the inner component. The strokes are drawn in a precise order, typically starting from left to right and top to bottom.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 門 (もん) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
| Grade | 3 |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- カイ (Kai)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- ひらく (hiraku)
- ひらける (hirakeru)
- あく (aku)
- あける (akeru)
Common Words Using 開
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開店 | かいてん | opening a store |
| 開会 | かいかい | opening a meeting |
| 開発 | かいはつ | development |
| 開放 | かいほう | opening, liberation |
| 公開 | こうかい | public disclosure, open to the public |
| 開催 | かいさい | holding (an event) |
| 開通 | かいつう | opening to traffic, commencement of service |
| 開演 | かいえん | curtain up, start of a performance |
| 開業 | かいぎょう | start of business, opening (a practice) |
| 開講 | かいこう | opening of a course/lecture |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開く | ひらく | to open (a book, a flower, a meeting) |
| 開ける | あける | to open (a door, a window, transitive) |
| 開く | あく | to open (intransitive, e.g., a door opens) |
| 開け放す | あけはなす | to leave open (e.g., a window) |
| 開け閉め | あけしめ | opening and closing (noun) |
| 開けっ放し | あけっぱなし | left wide open (state) |
| 開き直る | ひらきなおる | to become defiant, to take a defiant attitude |
| ひらける | ひらける | to open up (a view), to be developed/prosperous |
| 開け閉めする | あけしめする | to open and close (verb phrase) |
| 開き | ひらき | a leaf (of a door), opening (noun), dried fish opened flat |
Example Sentences
Japanese: ドアを開けてください。
Kana: ドアをあけてください。
Romaji: Doa o akete kudasai.
English: Please open the door.
Japanese: 本を開きます。
Kana: ほんをひらきます。
Romaji: Hon o hirakimasu.
English: I open the book.
Japanese: 会議は午前10時に開かれます。
Kana: かいぎはごぜん10じにひらかれます。
Romaji: Kaigi wa gozen jū-ji ni hirakaremasu.
English: The meeting will be opened at 10 AM.
Japanese: お店は9時に開きます。
Kana: おみせは9じにあきます。
Romaji: Omise wa ku-ji ni akimasu.
English: The store opens at 9 o’clock.
Japanese: 窓を開けたら、涼しい風が入ってきた。
Kana: まどをあけたら、すずしいかぜがはいってきた。
Romaji: Mado o aketara, suzushii kaze ga haitte kita.
English: When I opened the window, a cool breeze came in.
Japanese: 新しい道路が開通しました。
Kana: あたらしいどうろがかいこうしました。
Romaji: Atarashii dōro ga kaitsū shimashita.
English: The new road has opened (to traffic).
Japanese: 公園は朝早くから開いています。
Kana: こうえんはあさはやくからあいています。
Romaji: Kōen wa asa hayaku kara aite imasu.
English: The park is open from early morning.
Japanese: 彼は新しい事業を開業しました。
Kana: かれはあたらしいじぎょうをかいぎょうしました。
Romaji: Kare wa atarashii jigyō o kaigyō shimashita.
English: He started a new business.
Japanese: 心を開いて話しましょう。
Kana: こころをひらいてはなしましょう。
Romaji: Kokoro o hiraite hanashimashō.
English: Let’s talk openly (open our hearts).
Japanese: 未来を切り開く。
Kana: みらいをきりひらく。
Romaji: Mirai o kirihiraku.
English: To carve out a future.
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