开道 (kāi dào) — to clear the way, to make way (for someone or something important)

Definition

Literally 'open the way', meaning to clear a path so someone important (or an emergency vehicle) can pass through first. Most often used about police escorts, convoys, or ambulances.

verb
to clear the wayto make way (for someone or something important)

Examples

  • 开道，。
    Qián miàn yǒu jǐng chē kāi dào, chē duì hěn kuài jiù dào le.
    There are police cars clearing the way ahead, so the convoy will arrive soon.
  • ，。
    Tā wèi wǒ men kāi le yì tiáo dào, ràng wǒ men xiān zǒu.
    He cleared a path for us so we could go first.
  • 开道。
    Jiù hù chē xū yào yǒu rén kāi dào cái néng kuài sù tōng guò.
    The ambulance needs someone to clear the way so it can pass quickly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

开kāiopen
道dàoway

开 (open) acts on 道 (way), meaning to clear a path.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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