开始 from HSK Level 3 Vocabulary List

The Chinese word 开始 (kāishǐ) means "to begin" or "to start". It is composed of two characters: 开 (kāi), which means "to open" or "to start", and 始 (shǐ), which means "beginning" or "origin". The word 开始 is often used in conjunction with another verb to indicate the start of an action or event. For example, the sentence "我开始学习中文了" (wǒ kāishǐ xuéxí zhōngwén le) means "I started learning Chinese".The character 开 (kāi) is derived from the oracle bone script, which is the earliest known form of Chinese writing. In the oracle bone script, the character 开 is depicted as a hand holding a key, which is used to open a door. The character 始 (shǐ) is also derived from the oracle bone script, and it is depicted as a plant sprouting from the ground. This character represents the beginning of new life.The word 开始 is a common word in Chinese, and it is used in a variety of contexts. It can be used to refer to the start of a new day, a new year, or a new project. It can also be used to refer to the beginning of a sentence, a paragraph, or a book.