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翻开 (fān kāi) — to open and flip through (a book, document, etc.); to turn over (soil), to plow

Definition

A directional-verb phrase: 翻 supplies the motion of flipping, 开 marks the opening. Used for opening a book/magazine to its pages, and also for turning over soil.

verb
to open and flip through (a book, document, etc.)to turn over (soil)to plow

Examples

  • 翻开。
    Tā fān kāi le nà běn shū de fēng miàn.
    He flipped open the cover of that book.
  • 翻开。
    Nóng mín zhèng zài fān kāi tǔ dì.
    The farmers are turning over the soil.
  • 翻开。
    Tā xǐ huan zài shū diàn lǐ fān kāi gè zhǒng zá zhì.
    She likes browsing through various magazines in the bookstore.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

翻fānturn/flip
开kāiopen

“翻” gives the turning or leafing motion, and “开” shows that pages or soil are opened.

Characters in this word

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
羽羽yǔwings
Sound part声符shēngfú
番
番fān翻fān
Same sound today

翻 pairs 羽 (wings) with 番, which gives the sound. The shape shows something fluttering.

Open 翻 →

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 →
Appears in
Agriculture & FarmingReading & Writing

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