开绿灯 (kāi lǜ dēng) — to give the green light, to give permission or approval (for something to proceed)

Definition

An idiom meaning to approve or authorize something to go ahead. It's a verb-object phrase: 开 takes 绿灯 as its object, so it can be split (开了绿灯 / 开了一次绿灯).

verb
to give the green lightto give permission or approval (for something to proceed)

Examples

  • 开绿灯。
    Lǐng dǎo yǐ jīng wèi zhè ge xiàng mù kāi lǜ dēng le.
    The leadership has already given the green light for this project.
  • 。
    Zhèng fǔ gěi xīn zhèng cè kāi le lǜ dēng.
    The government gave the green light to the new policy.
  • 。
    Gōng sī wèi zhè cì hé zuò kāi le yí cì lǜ dēng.
    The company gave the green light once for this cooperation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

开kāiturn on
绿灯green light
绿lǜgreen灯dēnglight
偏正Modifier + head

开 (turn on) and 绿灯 (green light) combine to suggest permission to proceed.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù綠lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 绿 →

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
火火huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng灯dēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

Open 灯 →

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