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开创 (kāi chuàng) — to initiate; to start; to found (a company, era, field, etc.)

Definition

开创 emphasizes pioneering — opening a new era, field, or path. Use 创建 or 创立 for setting up an organization; 创业 is specifically for starting a business.

verb
to initiateto startto found (a company, era, field, etc.)

Examples

  • 开创。
    Tā kāi chuàng le yì jiā xīn gōng sī.
    He founded a new company.
  • 开创。
    Zhè wèi kē xué jiā kāi chuàng le yí gè quán xīn de lǐng yù.
    This scientist initiated a brand-new field.
  • 开创。
    Tā men kāi chuàng le yí gè xīn shí dài.
    They ushered in a new era.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

开kāistart
创chuàngcreate

开 means start, and 创 means create, together giving to initiate.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 創; 创 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng創chuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 創 pairs 倉 with 刀 (knife) to write 'wound', and 倉 gives the pronunciation. The simplified 创 is a later shorthand.

Open 创 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Change & Process

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