開始

See also: 开始

Chinese

		open; operate (vehicle); start	begin
trad. (開始)		開	始
simp. (开始)		开	始

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kāishǐ

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄞㄕˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hoi¹ ci²
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): khôi-sṳ́

(Hailu, HRS): koi^ˋ shi^ˊ
Eastern Min (BUC): kăi-sṳ̄
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kai¹ si³
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): khai-sí / khui-sí

(Teochew, Peng'im): kai¹ si²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹khe-sy

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: kāishǐ
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄞㄕˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: kaishǐh
  - Wade–Giles: kʻai¹-shih³
  - Yale: kāi-shř
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kaishyy
  - Palladius: кайши (kajši)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    開始 / 开始
    開駛 / 开驶
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: hoi¹ ci²
  - Yale: hōi chí
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hoi¹ tsi²
  - Guangdong Romanization: hoi¹ qi²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰiː³⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khôi-sṳ́
  - Hakka Romanization System: koi^ˊ sii^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: koi¹ si³
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰoi̯²⁴ sɨ³¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: koi^ˋ shi^ˊ
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰoi⁵³ ʃi²⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: kăi-sṳ̄
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰai⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ^(s-)ly³³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: kai¹ si³ [Phonetic: kai⁵ si³]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: kai-sî
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰai⁵³³⁻¹¹ ɬi⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: kai¹ si³ [Phonetic: kai⁵ si³]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰai⁵⁴⁴⁻²¹ ɬi³³²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khai-sí
  - Tâi-lô: khai-sí
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qaisie
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kʰai⁴⁴⁻²² si⁵³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /kʰai⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰai⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴¹/
  - IPA (Hui'an): /kʰai³³ si⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /kʰai³³ si⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khui-sí
  - Tâi-lô: khui-sí
  - Phofsit Daibuun: quisie
  - IPA (Philippines): /kʰui³³ si⁵⁵⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: kai¹ si²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khai sí
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰai³³⁻²³ si⁵²/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹khe-sy
  - MiniDict: khe^平 sy
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹khe-sr
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰe⁵⁵ sz̩²¹/

Verb

開始

to start; to begin; to commence
重新開始／重新开始 ― chóngxīn kāishǐ ― to start again

從今天開始／从今天开始 ― cóng jīntiān kāishǐ ― starting from today

倒計時現在開始！ [MSC, trad.]
倒计时现在开始！ [MSC, simp.]
Dàojìshí xiànzài kāishǐ! [Pinyin]
The countdown starts now!

球賽一開始，他以一球打開局面。 [MSC, trad.]
球赛一开始，他以一球打开局面。 [MSC, simp.]
Qiúsài yī kāishǐ, tā yǐ yī qiú dǎkāi júmiàn. [Pinyin]
He hit the ground running with a goal just as the game started.

這部電視劇太好看了！我已經開始四刷了！ [MSC, trad.]
这部电视剧太好看了！我已经开始四刷了！ [MSC, simp.]
Zhè bù diànshìjù tài hǎokàn le! Wǒ yǐjīng kāishǐ sì shuā le! [Pinyin]
This television drama is so good! I have already begun to watch through it for the fourth time!

Synonyms

edit

伊始 (yīshǐ) (literary)
權輿 / 权舆 (quányú) (literary)
發端 / 发端 (fāduān)
發軔 / 发轫 (fārèn) (literary)
肇始 (zhàoshǐ) (literary)
肇端 (zhàoduān) (literary)
萌 (literary, or in compounds)
起始 (qǐshǐ)
起手 (Cantonese, Eastern Min)
起頭 / 起头 (qǐtóu)
開首 / 开首 (kāishǒu) (Beijing Mandarin)

Antonyms

結束／结束 (jiéshù)

Noun

開始

start; beginning; commencement
一個好的開始是成功的一半。 [MSC, trad.]
一个好的开始是成功的一半。 [MSC, simp.]
Yī ge hǎo de kāishǐ shì chénggōng de yībàn. [Pinyin]
Well begun is half done.

人生永遠沒有太晚的開始。 [MSC, trad.]
人生永远没有太晚的开始。 [MSC, simp.]
Rénshēng yǒngyuǎn méiyǒu tài wǎn de kāishǐ. [Pinyin]
No beginning has ever been proved to be too late.

Synonyms

edit

伊始 (yīshǐ) (literary)
序幕 (xùmù) (figurative)
發端 / 发端 (fāduān)
肇端 (zhàoduān) (literary)
萌 (literary)
起始 (qǐshǐ)
起頭 / 起头 (qǐtóu)
起頭先 / 起头先 (kī-tàu-sĕng) (Eastern Min)
開端 / 开端 (kāiduān)
開頭 / 开头 (kāitóu)
首端 (shǒuduān)

Derived terms

一開始 / 一开始 (yīkāishǐ)
自……開始 / 自……开始

References

“開始”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
李如龙 [Li, Ru-long], 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu], 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying], 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019) 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 37.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
開	始
かい Grade: 3	し Grade: 3
on'yomi

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) かいし [kàíshí] (Heiban – [0])^[1]^[2]^[3]
IPA^(key): [ka̠iɕi]

Audio: (file)

Noun

開(かい)始(し) • (kaishi)

start; beginning; initiation
Synonyms: 到来 (tōrai), 着手 (chakushu)

Antonyms: 終了 (shūryō), 終結 (shūketsu), 完了 (kanryō)

Hyponyms: 起工 (kikō, “starting construction”), 着工 (chakkō, “starting construction”)

Derived terms

開(かい)始日(しび) (kaishibi): start day, beginning day

Verb

開(かい)始(し)する • (kaishi suru) transitive or intransitive suru (stem 開(かい)始(し)し (kaishi shi), past 開(かい)始(し)した (kaishi shita))

to start; to begin; to initiate
- 1940, 岸田國士, けむり（ラヂオ物語）:
  翌日(よくじつ)は、もう、測(そく)量(りょう)班(はん)が作(さ)業(ぎょう)を開(かい)始(し)します。
  Yokujitsu wa, mō, sokuryō-han ga sagyō o kaishi shimasu.
  The surveying team is already starting work the next day.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "開始する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	開始し	かいしし	kaishi shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	開始し	かいしし	kaishi shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	開始する	かいしする	kaishi suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	開始する	かいしする	kaishi suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	開始すれ	かいしすれ	kaishi sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	開始せよ¹ 開始しろ²	かいしせよ¹ かいししろ²	kaishi seyo¹ kaishi shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	開始される	かいしされる	kaishi sareru
Causative	開始させる開始さす	かいしさせるかいしさす	kaishi saseru kaishi sasu
Potential	開始できる	かいしできる	kaishi dekiru
Volitional	開始しよう	かいししよう	kaishi shiyō
Negative	開始しない	かいししない	kaishi shinai
Negative continuative	開始せず	かいしせず	kaishi sezu
Formal	開始します	かいしします	kaishi shimasu
Perfective	開始した	かいしした	kaishi shita
Conjunctive	開始して	かいしして	kaishi shite
Hypothetical conditional	開始すれば	かいしすれば	kaishi sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

Synonyms

始(はじ)める (hajimeru) (transitive)
始(はじ)まる (hajimaru) (intransitive)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

Korean

Hanja in this term
開	始

Noun

開始 • (gaesi) (hangeul 개시)

hanja form^? of 개시 (“start, beginning”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
開	始

Verb

開始

chữ Hán form of khai thuỷ (“to start, to begin”)

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[SMK5-3] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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