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开化 (kāi huà) — to become civilized; to be enlightened

Definition

Literary verb for becoming 'civilized/enlightened' — a society or person moves from primitive or ignorant to culturally developed. More abstract and written than everyday 进步.

verb
to become civilizedto be enlightened

Examples

  • 开化。
    Zhè ge bù luò zhí dào jìn dài cái zhú jiàn kāi huà.
    This tribe only gradually became civilized in modern times.
  • ，开化。
    Tā tōng guò yuè dú dà liàng shū jí, sī xiǎng kāi huà le hěn duō.
    Through extensive reading, his thinking became much more enlightened.
  • 开化。
    Rén lèi de kāi huà shì yí gè màn cháng de guò chéng.
    The civilization of humanity is a long process.

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kāiopen
化huàtransform

开 (open) and 化 (transform) together suggest becoming civilized or enlightened.

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 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →
Appears in
Society & Public Life

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