开
kāi · HSK 1
open
🚪 Two hands lifting the bar off a gate — the old form shows 門 with a crossbar being removed
Original character 開 depicts a gate (門) with two hands (廾) sliding back the latch (一). Simplified 开 keeps just the hands-and-bar element. Core sense: unbar, open, then by extension start, begin, develop.
开 — two hands 廾 + door 门 (open gate)
Originally written 開, showing two hands (廾) lifting the bar (一) off a gate (門) to open it. The simplified form 开 keeps the two-hands element and drops the gate. Core meaning 'to open' extended to 'start, operate, bloom'.