開
開 — Open
open, unfold, unseal
On’yomiカイ (kai)
Kun’yomiひらく (hiraku)
Kun’yomiひらき (hiraki)
Kun’yomi-びらき (biraki)
Kun’yomiひらける (hirakeru)
Kun’yomiあく (aku)
Stroke order (12 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 開
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開発 | かいはつ kaihatsu | development; cultivation; application |
| 開催 | かいさい kaisai | holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics) |
| 開始 | かいし kaishi | start; commencement; beginning |
| 開放 | かいほう kaihou | opening (a door, window, etc.); leaving open; opening up (e.g. to the public) |
| 公開 | こうかい koukai | opening to the public; making available to the public; exhibiting |
| 展開 | てんかい tenkai | development; evolution; progression |
Study notes
開 is a JLPT N4 kanji written with 12 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 3), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #59 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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