拨开 (bō kāi) — to push aside (with a light sweeping motion); to pry or force open (with a stick-like tool)

Definition

拨开 means to push or sweep something aside, or to pry something open with a stick-like tool — a separable verb, so 拨得开 / 拨不开 is the result pattern, not 拨开得 / 拨开不.

verb
to push aside (with a light sweeping motion)to pry or force open (with a stick-like tool)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 拨开。
    Tā bǎ zá cǎo bō kāi le.
    He pushed aside the weeds.
  • 拨开，。
    Wǒ qīng qīng bō kāi chuāng lián, kàn dào wài miàn zài xià xuě.
    I gently pushed aside the curtain and saw it was snowing outside.
  • ，。
    Zhè ge gài zi tài jǐn le, wǒ bō bù kāi.
    This lid is too tight; I can't pry it open.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

拨bōpush
开kāiapart or open

“拨” means push and “开” means apart or open, so the word means to push aside or force open.

Characters in this word

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 撥; 拨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā撥bō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 撥 combines 手 (hand) with 發, which gives the sound; the simplified 拨 is a different form.

Open 拨 →

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 →

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