开闸 (kāi zhá) — to open a sluice gate; (figurative) to release a large amount; to lift restrictions, allowing a surge

Definition

Literal: open a sluice gate. Figuratively, to lift restrictions and let something surge through (funds, traffic, pent-up demand) — like English 'open the floodgates'.

verb
to open a sluice gate(figurative) to release a large amountto lift restrictionsallowing a surge
Easily confused

Examples

  • 开闸。
    Shuǐ kù guǎn lǐ rén yuán zhèng zài kāi zhá fàng shuǐ.
    The reservoir staff are opening the sluice gate to release water.
  • 开闸，。
    Zhèng fǔ yì kāi zhá, dà liàng zī jīn yǒng rù le shì chǎng.
    Once the government opened the floodgates, a large amount of capital poured into the market.
  • ，。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù děng le sān nián, zhōng yú kāi le zhá.
    This project waited three years and finally got the green light (lit. opened the gate).

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
闸zhásluice gate

开 means open and 闸 is a sluice gate, so it means to open a gate, especially to release a surge.

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 閘; 闸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méngate
Sound part声符shēngfú
甲
甲jiǎ閘zhá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 閘 pairs 門 (gate) with 甲, which gives the sound; the simplified 闸 is not the form described here.

Open 闸 →

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