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推开 (tuī kāi) — to push open (a door, window, etc.); to push away (physically); to decline / reject (an offer, invitation, suggestion)

Definition

A resultative verb: 推 + 开 = push something so it opens or moves away. Used both literally (a door) and figuratively to push aside a person, offer, or suggestion.

verb
to push open (a door, window, etc.)to push away (physically)to decline / reject (an offer, invitation, suggestion)

Examples

  • 推开。
    Tā yòng shǒu tuī kāi le dà mén.
    He used his hand to push open the big door.
  • 推开。
    Tā tuī kāi le nà ge bù hé lǐ de jiàn yì.
    She rejected that unreasonable suggestion.
  • 推开。
    Tā tuī kāi le péng you de yāo qǐng.
    He declined his friend's invitation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

推tuīpush
开kāiopen

推 means push and 开 means open, so the word describes pushing something into an open state or away.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī推tuī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is a hand, and the right side 隹 gives the sound; the character shows pushing with the hand.

Open 推 →

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 →
Appears in
Change & ProcessConflict & Agreement

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