开讲 (kāi jiǎng) — to begin a lecture or storytelling session

Definition

A separable verb: 讲 is the object (讲 = lecture/tell), so you can insert other things in between, e.g. 开…课. Used for both formal lectures and informal storytelling.

verb
to begin a lecture or storytelling session

Examples

  • 开讲。
    Lǎo shī yí jìn jiào shì jiù kāi jiǎng le.
    As soon as the teacher entered the classroom, he began his lecture.
  • 开讲。
    Tā jīng cháng zài chá guǎn lǐ gěi kè rén kāi jiǎng.
    He often begins storytelling for customers in the teahouse.
  • 开讲。
    Xià wǔ liǎng diǎn wǒ men zhǔn shí kāi jiǎng.
    We will start the lecture at 2 pm sharp.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

开kāistart
讲jiǎnglecture

Starting combines with lecture to mean beginning to speak or teach.

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 講; 讲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
冓
冓gòu講jiǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 講 puts 言, say, beside 冓, which gave it its sound; the simplified 讲 is a later abbreviation.

Open 讲 →

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