Hanzi Writer

How to Write 启 (qǐ) — Meaning “to open; to start; to enlighten”

qǐ HSK Level 5 7 strokes Radical: 口

启 (qǐ) means "to open; to start; to enlighten" in Chinese. It has 7 strokes with the radical 口, and is HSK Level 5.

Rated 3.5/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 22% of HSK Level 5 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 开启 (kāi qǐ), 启发 (qǐ fā), 启动 (qǐ dòng).

Due to its 7 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 启 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 启 - qǐ

Practice Writing 启 (qǐ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 启 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 启

The character 启 (qǐ) is written with 7 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 口 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does qǐ (启) Mean in Chinese?

启 means to open; to start; to enlighten.

As an HSK Level 5 character, 启 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character启
Pinyinqǐ (qi)
Meaningto open; to start; to enlighten
Strokes7
Radical口
HSK Level5
Difficulty3.5/5

Origin of 启

启 combines a door (户) and a mouth (口), suggesting opening a door to speak—an act of beginning or imparting knowledge. This reflects its meanings of 'to open,' 'to start,' and 'to enlighten.'

💡 Memory Tip: Visualize a door (户) with a mouth (口) shouting 'Open!' to launch a new beginning.

Common Words with 启

开启 kāi qǐ
to open; to initiate
启发 qǐ fā
to inspire; to enlighten
启动 qǐ dòng
to start; to launch; to activate

Example Sentences

请开启这个盒子。

qǐng kāi qǐ zhè ge hé zi

Please open this box.

他的话很有启发。

tā de huà hěn yǒu qǐ fā

His words are very enlightening.

电脑正在启动中。

diàn nǎo zhèng zài qǐ dòng zhōng

The computer is starting up.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
启 (current) qǐ 7 口
卟 bǔ 5 口
古 gǔ 5 口
句 gōu / jù 5 口
Stroke order practice for 启 - qǐ

Practice Writing 启 (qǐ)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 启 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 启

启 is made of 户 (door, on top) and 口 (mouth, below). The image is of a mouth speaking at a door, suggesting the act of opening or starting a conversation or action. This matches its meanings of "to open," "to start," and "to enlighten."

More HSK Level 5 Characters

慰wèi岸àn摩mó拔bá拜bài版bǎn扮bàn棒bàng怨yuàn悲bēi辈bèi鼻bí彼bǐ幕mù辑jí宾bīn饼bǐng毒dú玻bō璃lí

Characters with Radical 口

㕡hé卟bǔ口kǒu古gǔ句gōu/jù另lìng叨dāo/tāo叩kòu只zhī/zhǐ叫jiào

Other 7-Stroke Characters

㐬liú㳄xián两liǎng严yán串chuàn丽lì乱luàn亨hēng亩mǔ伯bó