开始

开始 kāishǐ

Begin (start)

HSK 2 繁體 開始 kaishi

What 开始 means

  1. Begin (start)

These meanings come from the same dictionary that powers the Chinese to Pinyin translator and the Chinese to English translator, so a whole sentence containing 开始 will read it the same way this page does.

Character by character

开始 is written with 2 characters. Chinese words are usually easier to remember once you can see what each part contributes.

kāi
Open (start - drive - boil)
shǐ
Begin (start)

How to write 开始

Stroke order is not decoration — it is what makes handwriting legible and what dictionary lookup by stroke count depends on.

Practise 开始 on printable 田字格 sheets, trace it in the writing practice tool, or watch any other character in the Stroke Order Animator.

Questions about 开始

What does 开始 mean in English?

开始 is pronounced kāishǐ and means Begin (start).

How do you pronounce 开始?

开始 is kāishǐ in pinyin — written kaishi without tone marks. Press the audio button on this page to hear it spoken by a native voice.

What are the characters in 开始?

开始 is written with 2 characters: 开 (kāi) Open (start - drive - boil), 始 (shǐ) Begin (start). Knowing the parts is usually how the whole word becomes memorable.

How is 开始 written in traditional Chinese?

開始. The simplified form 开始 is used in mainland China and Singapore; 開始 is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Both are pronounced kāishǐ.

Is 开始 an HSK word?

Yes — 开始 is on the official HSK 2 vocabulary list. You can study it with the rest of that list on the HSK 2 page.

Studied around the same time

Keep going

Translate a whole sentence containing 开始 with the Chinese to Pinyin translator, study it alongside the rest of HSK 2, drill it with HSK flashcards, or save it above and review it on your review deck.

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