开 / 关 kāi / guān
to open / to close; to turn on / off
开 / 关 (kāi / guān) means "to open / to close; to turn on / off" in Chinese and is one of the highest-frequency words in the Speak1000 curriculum.
How to use 开 / 关
开/关 ___
Turn on/off ___
开始 ___
Start / begin ___
Words used with 开 / 关
开始
kāishǐ
to start / begin
开会
kāihuì
to have a meeting
打开
dǎkāi
to open up (a file, box, app)
关上
guānshàng
to close up (a door, window)
没关系
méiguānxi
it doesn't matter
门
mén
door
窗户
chuānghu
window
灯
dēng
light
电视
diànshì
television
空调
kōngtiáo
air conditioner
会议
huìyì
meeting
Frequently asked questions
What does 开 / 关 (kāi / guān) mean in Chinese?
开 / 关 (kāi / guān) means "to open / to close; to turn on / off" in Chinese. 开 / 关 (kāi / guān) means "to open / to close; to turn on / off" in Chinese and is one of the highest-frequency words in the Speak1000 curriculum.
How do you use 开 / 关 in a sentence?
The core pattern is "开/关 ___" (Turn on/off ___). Once you know this block, you can reuse it with many other words to build full sentences.
What words are commonly used with 开 / 关?
Common words that pair with 开 / 关 include 开始, 开会, 打开, 关上, 没关系. Learning these together helps you build complete, natural sentences instead of isolated vocabulary.
What is the difference between 开 / 关 (kāi / guān) and 来 (lái)?
Both are high-frequency Chinese words taught early in Speak1000. 开 / 关 means "to open / to close; to turn on / off"; 来 means "to come". The fastest way to tell them apart is to hear each one used in real sentences — our free lessons drill every word in context so the contrast becomes natural.
Related Chinese concepts
Why this concept matters
One concept should unlock a network, not one translation
Speak1000 teaches 开 / 关 as part of a cumulative sentence network. You connect it to concepts you already know, hear the combinations in context, and retrieve them in new situations.
See the Concept Unlock MethodHear 开 / 关 used in real sentences
The fastest way to remember 开 / 关 (kāi / guān) is to hear it used naturally. Start with our free interactive lesson and practice with real audio from day one.
Try Free Lesson: Unit 1