dǎkāi: 打开 - To Open, Turn On

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 打开 (dǎkāi), the go-to word for “to open” or “to turn on.” This page breaks down how to use `dǎkāi` for everything from opening physical objects like doors, books, and gifts to turning on electronic devices like computers, lights, and TVs. Discover its linguistic structure, practical usage in daily conversation, and how it differs from the simpler verb `开 (kāi)`. This is a fundamental word for every beginner learning Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎ kāi
• Part of Speech: Verb (Resultative Verb Compound)
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: To open something or to turn on a device, emphasizing the result of the action.
• In a Nutshell: `打开` is one of the most useful verbs in Chinese. It's a “resultative compound,” which means it's made of two parts: an action and a result. The action is `打` (dǎ), which often means “to hit,” and the result is `开` (kāi), which means “open.” Together, they mean “to act in a way that results in something being open.” You use it for opening a door, a book, a window, or a gift, and also for turning on a light, a computer, or the air conditioning. It's a clear, direct, and incredibly common word.

• 打 (dǎ): The core meaning is “to hit,” “to strike,” or “to do.” The radical `扌` on the left is the “hand” radical, indicating that this is an action performed with the hands.
• 开 (kāi): This character means “to open,” “to start,” or “apart.” The traditional form `開` pictographically shows two hands `廾` removing a bolt `一` from a door `門`.
• How they combine: The word `打开` literally means “to strike open.” This structure is very common in Chinese, where an action verb (`打`) is combined with a result verb (`开`) to make the outcome of the action explicit. It emphasizes that the action of opening was successful.

While `打开` isn't a deeply philosophical term, it's a perfect window into the linguistic culture of Mandarin Chinese, specifically the importance of resultative verb compounds. In English, we say “I opened the door.” The single verb “opened” implies a successful result. Chinese often prefers to be more explicit. By combining `打` (action) with `开` (result), the language leaves no ambiguity: the action was performed, and the result was achieved. Compare this to the English phrasal verb “open up.” While we might say “he opened up the box,” `打开` has a much broader and more fundamental role. This linguistic pattern reflects a preference for clarity and concreteness. Understanding `打开` as an action+result pair is the first step to mastering hundreds of other similar verbs in Chinese, like `找到` (zhǎodào - to look for and find) or `听懂` (tīngdǒng - to listen and understand).

`打开` is a high-frequency, neutral term used in virtually all contexts, from casual conversation to formal instructions.

This is the most direct meaning. It's used for any object that can be physically opened.

• Doors: `打开门 (dǎkāi mén)`
• Windows: `打开窗户 (dǎkāi chuānghu)`
• Books: `打开书 (dǎkāi shū)`
• Umbrellas: `打开伞 (dǎkāi sǎn)`
• Gifts: `打开礼物 (dǎkāi lǐwù)`

In this context, `打开` is the direct equivalent of “to turn on” or “to switch on.”

• Lights: `打开灯 (dǎkāi dēng)`
• Computers: `打开电脑 (dǎkāi diànnǎo)`
• Televisions: `打开电视 (dǎkāi diànshì)`
• Air Conditioning: `打开空调 (dǎkāi kōngtiáo)`
• Faucets: `打开水龙头 (dǎkāi shuǐlóngtóu)`

`打开` has adapted perfectly to the digital age and can also be used for non-physical “opening.”

• Software/Apps: `打开微信 (dǎkāi Wēixìn)` - Open WeChat.
• Files/Documents: `打开这个文件 (dǎkāi zhège wénjiàn)` - Open this file.
• Figurative: `打开思路 (dǎkāi sīlù)` - To open one's mind (literally “open the train of thought”).

• Example 1:
  • 太热了，请打开窗户。
  • Pinyin: Tài rè le, qǐng dǎkāi chuānghu.
  • English: It's too hot, please open the window.
  • Analysis: A very common, polite request showing the basic physical usage of the word.
• Example 2:
  • 我每天早上第一件事就是打开电脑。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang dì yī jiàn shì jiùshì dǎkāi diànnǎo.
  • English: The first thing I do every morning is turn on my computer.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the use of `打开` for electronics, equivalent to “turn on.”
• Example 3:
  • 孩子们兴奋地打开了他们的圣诞礼物。
  • Pinyin: Háizimen xīngfèn de dǎkāi le tāmen de Shèngdàn lǐwù.
  • English: The children excitedly opened their Christmas presents.
  • Analysis: The particle `了 (le)` indicates the completed action of opening.
• Example 4:
  • 请把书打开到第五十页。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ shū dǎkāi dào dì wǔshí yè.
  • English: Please open your books to page 50.
  • Analysis: A typical classroom instruction. Note the common `把 (bǎ)` structure, which brings the object (the book) before the verb.
• Example 5:
  • 天黑了，我帮你打开灯吧。
  • Pinyin: Tiān hēi le, wǒ bāng nǐ dǎkāi dēng ba.
  • English: It's getting dark, let me turn on the light for you.
  • Analysis: Here `打开` is used for “turn on the light.” It's interchangeable with the shorter `开灯 (kāi dēng)`.
• Example 6:
  • 你能帮我打开这个瓶子吗？太紧了。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ dǎkāi zhège píngzi ma? Tài jǐn le.
  • English: Can you help me open this bottle? It's too tight.
  • Analysis: Shows `打开` used for containers that require effort to open.
• Example 7:
  • 他打开手机，开始看新闻。
  • Pinyin: Tā dǎkāi shǒujī, kāishǐ kàn xīnwén.
  • English: He turned on his phone and started reading the news.
  • Analysis: Another digital-age example, very common in daily life.
• Example 8:
  • 下雨了，快把伞打开！
  • Pinyin: Xià yǔ le, kuài bǎ sǎn dǎkāi!
  • English: It's raining, quick, open the umbrella!
  • Analysis: A command showing urgency. Again, the `把 (bǎ)` structure is used here.
• Example 9:
  • 这个软件怎么打开？
  • Pinyin: Zhège ruǎnjiàn zěnme dǎkāi?
  • English: How do you open this software?
  • Analysis: A practical question related to using computers or phones, showing its use for applications.
• Example 10:
  • 和他聊天打开了我的思路。
  • Pinyin: Hé tā liáotiān dǎkāi le wǒ de sīlù.
  • English: Chatting with him opened up my mind (my way of thinking).
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the figurative, abstract use of `打开`.

• `打开` (dǎkāi) vs. `开` (kāi): This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
  • `开` is the root verb “to open” and can be used alone or in other compounds.
  • `打开` is a resultative compound that emphasizes the result of being open.
  • For electronics, they are often interchangeable: `开灯 (kāi dēng)` = `打开灯 (dǎkāi dēng)`.
  • For physical objects, using `打开` (often with `把`) is extremely common and often sounds more natural as it confirms the action's success: `请把门打开` (Please open the door).
  • Crucial Mistake: `开` has many other meanings where `打开` is incorrect. For example, “to start a business” is `开公司 (kāi gōngsī)` and “to hold a meeting” is `开会 (kāihuì)`.
  • Incorrect: `我明年要打开一个咖啡店。` (Wǒ míngnián yào dǎkāi yí ge kāfēi diàn.)
  • Correct: `我明年要开一个咖啡店。` (Wǒ míngnián yào kāi yí ge kāfēi diàn.)
• Overusing `打`: Do not assume that `打` always means “to do an action that results in…” It is part of a fixed compound here. You cannot swap out the `开` for another verb.

• 开 (kāi) - The root verb meaning to open, to start, to drive, or to turn on. `打开` is a specific resultative form of `开`.
• 关 (guān) - The direct antonym of `开`. It means to close or to turn off.
• 开启 (kāiqǐ) - A more formal or literary word for “to open,” “to start,” or “to initiate.” Often used for abstract things like opening a new era (`开启新时代`).
• 开放 (kāifàng) - An adjective or verb meaning “open-minded,” or “to open to the outside world” (as in a policy).
• 关上 (guānshàng) - The resultative compound antonym for closing something, meaning “to close shut.”
• 把 (bǎ) - A preposition often used with `打开` to structure a sentence by placing the object before the verb (e.g., `把门打开`). It emphasizes the disposal of or effect on the object.
• 拉开 (lākāi) - To pull open, used for things like curtains (`拉开窗帘`) or drawers (`拉开抽屉`).
• 推开 (tuīkāi) - To push open, used specifically for doors or gates that you push.