TongTong
Sign in

切开 (qiē kāi) — to cut open, to slice open

Definition

切开 (qiēkāi) is a separable verb meaning to cut something open or slice through it — a complete, decisive cut, not a surface slice (切).

verb
to cut opento slice open

Examples

  • 切开。
    Tā xiǎo xīn dì yòng dāo qiē kāi le xī guā.
    He carefully cut open the watermelon with a knife.
  • 切开。
    Yī shēng xū yào qiē kāi shāng kǒu cái néng qǔ chū zǐ dàn.
    The doctor needs to cut open the wound to remove the bullet.
  • ，切开。
    Zhè kuài dàn gāo tài ruǎn le, hěn nán qiē kāi.
    This cake is too soft; it's hard to cut open.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

切qiècut
开kāiopen

切 means to cut and 开 means open, so it describes cutting something until it opens.

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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
七
七qī切qiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 切, the 刀 (knife) part is joined to 七, which gives the sound.

Open 切 →

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
Cooking

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.