kāibàn: 开办 - To Start, To Set Up, To Found

• Keywords: kaiban, 开办, how to say start a business in Chinese, open a company Chinese, set up a school, found an organization, establish a factory, Chinese business vocabulary, HSK 5 verb
• Summary: Learn the Chinese verb 开办 (kāibàn), an HSK 5 term essential for business and formal contexts. This page explains how to use 开办 to talk about formally starting, founding, or setting up a business, school, factory, or organization. Discover its cultural significance in China's economic development, see practical examples, and learn to distinguish it from similar words like 开始 (kāishǐ) and 成立 (chénglì).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): kāibàn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To start, open, or found an enterprise, institution, or course.
• In a Nutshell: 开办 (kāibàn) is a formal verb used for the official establishment of something substantial and organized. Think less about “starting a project” and more about “founding an institution.” It implies going through the proper procedures to create a new company, school, factory, or training program that is intended to operate for the long term.

• 开 (kāi): The character for “open.” It's often depicted as a bar being lifted from a gate (门), symbolizing the act of opening a door or beginning something.
• 办 (bàn): The character for “to handle,” “to manage,” or “to set up.” It contains the radical for strength or effort (力).
• The combination of “opening” (开) and “managing” (办) creates the specific meaning of formally establishing and running a new organization or enterprise from its inception.

The term 开办 is deeply connected to China's modern history, particularly the “Reform and Opening-Up” (改革开放, gǎigé kāifàng) period that began in the late 1970s. During this time, the government encouraged private enterprise, leading to millions of people deciding to 开办 their own businesses, factories, and schools. The word carries a sense of formal entrepreneurship and contributing to economic construction. In Western culture, there's a distinction between “starting a project” and “founding an institution.” 开办 is much closer to “founding.” You might casually “start” a blog, but you would formally 开办 a media company. You might “start” a study group, but you would 开办 a tuition center. The term implies a level of seriousness, official registration, and structured operation that isn't always present in the general English verb “to start.” It reflects a cultural appreciation for established, recognized entities.

开办 is primarily used in formal written and spoken contexts. You'll frequently encounter it in:

• Business and Legal Documents: When discussing the registration and establishment of a company.
• News Reports: Announcing the opening of a new factory, school, or international branch.
• Education: Describing the creation of a new university, department, or specialized course.
• Formal Speeches: When a CEO or official talks about the history of their organization.

While it's a formal term, an individual can still use it to describe their own serious entrepreneurial plans, especially when discussing them in a formal setting. The connotation is neutral to positive, suggesting initiative and development.

• Example 1:
  • 他计划在上海开办一家软件公司。
  • Pinyin: Tā jìhuà zài Shànghǎi kāibàn yī jiā ruǎnjiàn gōngsī.
  • English: He plans to set up a software company in Shanghai.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of using 开办 for starting a formal business entity (a company).
• Example 2:
  • 这所大学是由一位著名的教育家开办的。
  • Pinyin: Zhè suǒ dàxué shì yóu yī wèi zhùmíng de jiàoyùjiā kāibàn de.
  • English: This university was founded by a famous educator.
  • Analysis: Here, 开办 is used in the past tense with the 是…的 (shì…de) structure to emphasize who founded the institution.
• Example 3:
  • 为了满足市场需求，我们决定开办一个新的培训课程。
  • Pinyin: Wèile mǎnzú shìchǎng xūqiú, wǒmen juédìng kāibàn yī ge xīn de péixùn kèchéng.
  • English: To meet market demand, we decided to launch a new training course.
  • Analysis: 开办 isn't limited to entire businesses; it can also be used for substantial, organized programs like a formal course.
• Example 4:
  • 在中国开办工厂需要遵循很多法规。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó kāibàn gōngchǎng xūyào zūnxún hěn duō fǎguī.
  • English: Setting up a factory in China requires following many regulations.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the formal, procedural nature implied by 开办.
• Example 5:
  • 他们去年开办了一个非营利组织，旨在帮助贫困儿童。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen qùnián kāibàn le yī ge fēi yínglì zǔzhī, zhǐ zài bāngzhù pínkùn értóng.
  • English: They founded a non-profit organization last year aimed at helping children in poverty.
  • Analysis: The term applies to non-profits and other formal organizations, not just for-profit businesses.
• Example 6:
  • 这个城市开办了第一家公立图书馆。
  • Pinyin: Zhège chéngshì kāibàn le dì-yī jiā gōnglì túshūguǎn.
  • English: The city opened its first public library.
  • Analysis: Used here for a public institution, showing its broad applicability to organized establishments.
• Example 7:
  • 开办一个新企业面临着许多挑战。
  • Pinyin: Kāibàn yī ge xīn qǐyè miànlín zhe xǔduō tiǎozhàn.
  • English: Starting a new enterprise faces many challenges.
  • Analysis: Here, 开办 is used as the verb in the subject of the sentence (“Starting a new enterprise”).
• Example 8:
  • 由于资金不足，他开办公司的计划失败了。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú zījīn bùzú, tā kāibàn gōngsī de jìhuà shībài le.
  • English: Due to insufficient funds, his plan to start a company failed.
  • Analysis: A negative example showing the failure of a plan involving 开办.
• Example 9:
  • 政府鼓励外国投资者在中国开办高科技公司。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ gǔlì wàiguó tóuzīzhě zài Zhōngguó kāibàn gāokējì gōngsī.
  • English: The government encourages foreign investors to establish high-tech companies in China.
  • Analysis: This is a typical sentence you might find in a business or economic news report.
• Example 10:
  • 什么时候开办的这家餐厅？
  • Pinyin: Shénme shíhou kāibàn de zhè jiā cāntīng?
  • English: When was this restaurant established?
  • Analysis: A common question form. While a restaurant is a business, using 开办 gives it a slightly more formal feel than just saying 开 (kāi).

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 开办 with the general verb “to start.”

• 开办 (kāibàn) vs. 开始 (kāishǐ):
  • 开办 (kāibàn) is for founding institutions (companies, schools, factories).
  • 开始 (kāishǐ) is for beginning actions or events (a meeting, a meal, a movie, a new day).
  • Incorrect: 我们下午三点开办会议。(Wǒmen xiàwǔ sān diǎn kāibàn huìyì.)
  • Correct: 我们下午三点开始会议。(Wǒmen xiàwǔ sān diǎn kāishǐ huìyì.) - We start the meeting at 3 PM.
  • Correct: 我们计划开办一家会议服务公司。(Wǒmen jìhuà kāibàn yī jiā huìyì fúwù gōngsī.) - We plan to establish a conference services company.
• 开办 (kāibàn) vs. 成立 (chénglì):
  • These two are very close and often interchangeable. Both mean “to found” or “to establish.”
  • 成立 (chénglì) can feel slightly more formal and often refers to the single, official act of establishment. It's frequently used for very large entities like nations, political parties, or major corporations. (e.g., 中华人民共和国成立于1949年 - The PRC was founded in 1949).
  • 开办 (kāibàn) often implies the whole process of setting up and getting things running. It's more commonly used for businesses, schools, and programs. You would typically 开办 a factory but 成立 a multinational corporation.
• 开办 (kāibàn) vs. 创业 (chuàngyè):
  • 创业 (chuàngyè) is the abstract concept of “engaging in entrepreneurship” or “starting a venture.” It's about the spirit and action of being an entrepreneur.
  • 开办 (kāibàn) is the concrete, administrative act of formally founding the specific business entity itself.
  • Example: 他想创业 (Tā xiǎng chuàngyè) - He wants to be an entrepreneur. His first step is to 开办一家小公司 (kāibàn yī jiā xiǎo gōngsī) - to set up a small company.

• 创业 (chuàngyè) - The entrepreneurial act of starting a venture; focuses on the spirit and journey.
• 成立 (chénglì) - A very formal synonym meaning “to establish” or “to found,” often used for larger entities.
• 创办 (chuàngbàn) - A close synonym, “to found,” often used for things with an innovative or creative origin, like a magazine or a new type of school.
• 开设 (kāishè) - To open or set up, but usually for smaller or subordinate things like a bank account, a specific course, or a branch office.
• 举办 (jǔbàn) - To hold or conduct an event, like a conference, competition, or exhibition. This is about running an event, not founding an institution.
• 开始 (kāishǐ) - The general verb “to start” or “to begin,” used for actions and events. The most important verb to distinguish from 开办.
• 企业 (qǐyè) - Enterprise; a common type of organization that is 开办-ed.
• 建立 (jiànlì) - To build or establish. Can be used for concrete things (build a building) or abstract things (establish a relationship, establish a system). It's broader than 开办.