开始

開始

kāishǐ

verb HSK 3 #135

Meanings

1 to begin; to start
2 beginning; start

Characters

to open; to start

beginning; to start

Examples

上课开始了。

Shàngkè kāishǐ le.

Class has started.

我们什么时候开始？

Wǒmen shénme shíhou kāishǐ?

When do we start?

从现在开始努力。

Cóng xiànzài kāishǐ nǔlì.

Start working hard from now on.

一开始我不习惯。

Yī kāishǐ wǒ bù xíguàn.

At first I wasn't used to it.

Tips

grammar

Common patterns: 开始 + verb (开始学习), 从...开始 (from... onward), 一开始 (at the very beginning).

mistakes

开始 can be both verb and noun. As noun: 一个好的开始 (a good start). Use 了 for completed starts: 电影开始了.

Stroke Order

开 kāi

始 shǐ