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闢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
闢pìopen; to settle, to develop, to open upx, 21 strokes, radical 門
pì(pi4)pi T4
  1. 1open; to settle, to develop, to open up
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March 24, 2026

闢pì(pi4)

The character 闢 (pì) primarily means 'to open' or 'to develop,' often in contexts related to opening up new areas or opportunities. It is also associated with settling matters or establishing something new, such as a plan or policy. This character is less commonly used in everyday conversation but finds relevance in formal or literary contexts.

Strokes21Radical門
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'opening up' is significant, particularly in the context of economic reform initiated in the late 20th century, known as '改革开放' (gǎigé kāifàng), where 闢 can be seen as a metaphor for opening up society and economy.

Memory tip

Imagine a door (the radical 門, meaning 'door') being pushed open to reveal new opportunities. The sound 'pì' can be remembered as 'pee,' which sounds like a child excitedly saying 'Look! I opened a door!' This visual and auditory connection helps solidify the meaning of opening up.

Meanings of 闢

pì(pi4)
1open; to settle, to develop, to open up
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 闢

闢Simplified
21Strokes
門Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 闢

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AI Study Notes for 闢

Usage Notes

闢 is often used in formal contexts, such as legal or academic language, which might not be familiar to all learners. Common collocations include 闢路 (pì lù), meaning 'open a road,' and 闢土 (pì tǔ), meaning 'to develop land.' Be careful with the tone; the correct pronunciation is crucial for clarity.

HSK Study Tips

While 闢 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to other advanced characters that denote actions of opening or developing, such as 开 (kāi) and 发展 (fāzhǎn). Students should focus on understanding its usage in formal texts and contrast it with more common words for 'open.'

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 闢 with 开 (kāi), using it in informal contexts where 开 is more appropriate, such as saying '我开新店' (Wǒ kāi xīn diàn) instead of correctly using 闢 in a formal report. Also, some mistakenly pronounce it with the wrong tone, leading to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 闢

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Etymology of 闢

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Depicts punishing a kneeling person (卩) with a curved knife (䇂).

Memory hint

gate

Semantic (meaning)門
+
Phonetic (sound)辟
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

闢 = 門 + 辟. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 闢

IDS Structure⿵門辟
闢Full character
=
門men2
enclosing
辟bi4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 闢?

How to say open; to settle, to develop, to open up in Chinese

“open; to settle, to develop, to open up” in Chinese is闢pì

The character 闢 (pì) primarily means 'to open' or 'to develop,' often in contexts related to opening up new areas or opportunities. It is also associated with settling matters or establishing something new, such as a plan or policy. This character is less commonly used in everyday conversation but finds relevance in formal or literary contexts.

When to use 闢

闢 is often used in formal contexts, such as legal or academic language, which might not be familiar to all learners. Common collocations include 闢路 (pì lù), meaning 'open a road,' and 闢土 (pì tǔ), meaning 'to develop land.' Be careful with the tone; the correct pronunciation is crucial for clarity.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 闢 with 开 (kāi), using it in informal contexts where 开 is more appropriate, such as saying '我开新店' (Wǒ kāi xīn diàn) instead of correctly using 闢 in a formal report. Also, some mistakenly pronounce it with the wrong tone, leading to misunderstandings.

Write 闢

闢

Practice writing 闢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 闢

Words containing this character14
开辟kāipìto open up開闢
辟bìto dispel闢
精辟incisive精闢
开天辟地kāitiānpìdìto split heaven and earth apart (idiom); refers to the Pangu 盤古|盘古[Pán​gǔ] creation myth開天闢地
辟邪to ward off evil spirits
复辟restoration (of a past regime)復辟
辟谣to deny闢謠
独辟蹊径to blaze a new trail (idiom); to display originality獨辟蹊徑
另辟蹊径to find an alternative另闢蹊徑
鞭辟入里penetrated鞭闢入裡
大辟death sentence
透辟penetrating透闢
开辟者pioneer開闢者
警辟profound, thorough and moving警闢
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 闢

What does 开辟 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 闢

An example sentence is: '政府决定闢新道路以促进经济发展,' which means 'The government decided to open new roads to promote economic development.'

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