开

To open (transitive or intransitive) Component (开)

kāi · 4 strokes

The to open (transitive or intransitive) component (开) is a less common component in Chinese characters. In Chinese, components serve different roles: semantic elements contribute meaning, phonetic elements suggest pronunciation, and structural elements provide the character's framework. It primarily serves as a structural element in character composition. It typically appears on the left side of a character. 4 characters: 2 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 7-9. Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.

To open (transitive or intransitive) Component at a Glance

Stroke Count4
Total Characters4
Primary RoleStructural
Typical Positionleft side
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 4 (2 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes8
Also a Kangxi Radical?No

All To open (transitive or intransitive) Component Characters

HSK 4 (2 characters)

研yánto research, to grind并bìngand

HSK 5 (1 characters)

形xíngto appear

HSK 7-9 (1 characters)

刑xíngpunishment

Frequently Asked Questions

What characters contain the to open (transitive or intransitive) component (开)?
There are 4 characters containing the to open (transitive or intransitive) component (开) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 2 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 7-9. The most frequently used include 并 (bìng, "and"), 形 (xíng, "to appear"), 研 (yán, "to research, to grind"), 刑 (xíng, "punishment"). Components are identified through character decomposition analysis.
Is 开 a radical or a component?
开 is a component but not one of the 214 Kangxi radicals. Kangxi radicals are the traditional set used to classify and look up characters in dictionaries. Components are the broader set of building blocks that make up all Chinese characters — including radicals, phonetic elements, and structural pieces. While 开 is not used as a dictionary classifier, it plays an important role as a structural element in the 4 characters where it appears.
Where does 开 appear in a character?
The to open (transitive or intransitive) component (开) most commonly appears on the left side of a character. Full position breakdown: left side (2 characters), right side (1 characters), bottom (1 characters). Knowing where a component typically sits helps with character recognition — when you see 开 in its usual position, you can quickly identify it and infer the character's meaning or pronunciation.
What HSK levels include to open (transitive or intransitive) component characters?
Characters containing the to open (transitive or intransitive) component (开) appear across 3 HSK levels: 2 in HSK 4, 1 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 4 with 2 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common to open (transitive or intransitive)-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Components are identified through structural decomposition analysis of characters in the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首).