洞开 (dòng kāi) — (literary) to open wide (of doors, gates, etc.)

Definition

Literary verb for something (a door, gate, window) standing open wide. Almost always written — for everyday speech use 打开 instead.

verb
(literary) to open wide (of doors, gates, etc.)

Examples

  • 洞开，。
    Dà mén dòng kāi, bīn kè fēn fēn ér rù.
    The gate opened wide, and guests entered one after another.
  • 洞开，。
    Chuāng hu dòng kāi, liáng shuǎng de yè fēng chuī le jìn lái.
    The window opened wide, and the cool night breeze blew in.
  • ，洞开，。
    Tā tuī kāi dà mén, shǐ mén dòng kāi, yíng jiē yuǎn dào ér lái de péng you.
    He pushed open the gate, making it open wide, to welcome friends who had come from afar.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

洞dòngwide
开kāiopen

“洞” contributes a sense of wide or thorough opening, and “开” means 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
同
同tóng洞dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洞 combines 水 (water) with 同, which gives the sound tóng.

Open 洞 →

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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