开始
HSK 2 (exam 2025)HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 2
开始 (kāishǐ) · to begin
开始 (kāishǐ) means “to begin; to start; beginning”. It is written with 2 characters: 开 (to open) + 始 (to begin). It is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 开始 is built
The characters
开 kāi · to open
What 开 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 廾gǒng — two hands
Origin hint: Simplified form of 開; hands 廾 lifting the latch 一 of a door (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
始 shǐ · to begin
What 始 is made of
- 女nǚ — woman
- 台tái — used in place names
- 厶sī — private
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 女 gives the meaning, 台 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我们开始上课吧。Wǒmen kāishǐ shàngkè ba.Let's start the class.
电影几点开始？Diànyǐng jǐ diǎn kāishǐ?What time does the movie start?
Questions about 开始
What does 开始 mean?
开始 (kāishǐ) means “to begin; to start; beginning”.
How do you pronounce 开始?
开始 is pronounced kāishǐ.
Which HSK level is 开始?
开始 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Related words
- 打开dǎkāito open
- 开车kāichēto drive
- 开会kāihuìto have a meeting
- 开玩笑kāiwánxiàoto joke
- 分开fēnkāito separate
- 开机kāijīto turn on (a phone, computer etc.)
- 开心kāixīnhappy
- 开学kāixuéschool starts
- 离开líkāito leave
- 走开zǒukāito go away
Learn 开始 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 16: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.