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开明 (kāi míng) — enlightened; open-minded

Definition

开明 describes a person (often parents, leaders, scholars) who is tolerant and willing to accept different views. Unlike the verb 启示/启迪, it is an adjective for a person's attitude, not the act of enlightening.

adjective
enlightenedopen-minded

Examples

  • 开明，。
    Tā shì yí wèi kāi míng de xué zhě, yuàn yì tīng qǔ bù tóng yì jiàn.
    She is an enlightened scholar who is willing to listen to different opinions.
  • 开明。
    kāi míng De fù mǔ huì zūn zhòng hái zi de xuǎn zé.
    Open-minded parents respect their children's choices.
  • 开明，。
    Zhè wèi lǐng dǎo hěn kāi míng, gǔ lì dà jiā tí chū jiàn yì.
    This leader is very enlightened and encourages everyone to offer suggestions.

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
明míngclear

开 and 明 combine as open and clear, giving the sense of an open, enlightened mind.

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.

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Personality & Traits

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