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开通 (kāi tōng) — to open (a new transportation route, road, or railway line); to launch (a service, hotline, or facility); to subscribe to (a membership, service, or account)

Definition

开通 covers two main uses: opening infrastructure (roads, rail lines) or launching/activating a service or account. For subscribing to media, 订阅 is the standard word; 开通 fits when you sign up or activate access.

verb
to open (a new transportation route, road, or railway line)to launch (a service, hotline, or facility)to subscribe to (a membership, service, or account)

Examples

  • 开通。
    Xīn dì tiě xiàn míng nián kāi tōng.
    The new subway line will open next year.
  • 开通。
    Yín háng kāi tōng le xīn de fú wù.
    The bank launched a new service.
  • 开通。
    Wǒ kāi tōng le wǎng luò fú wù.
    I subscribed to the internet service.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

开kāiopen
通tōngpassable

“开” means to open and “通” means to make passable, giving the sense of opening a route or service.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5

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