HSK6: learn ten words at a time
When a word is new, open its help and listen to the example. On later visits, try recalling before opening help. Start with five to ten words and revisit tomorrow.
From the new HSK 3.0 word list. Every word here has an original Chinese example, English translation and pinyin. Try reading the example after recalling the word.
2 word entries · Batch 1 of 1
开
Reveal help
开 · kāi
open; turn on; operate, depending on context
Study these uses in context
Your goal: Interpret 开 with its object when opening something, switching on a device or driving.
Before you start: Recognise 门, 灯 and 车, or use the example meanings below.
open something such as a door
With 门, 开 describes opening the door. The object tells you which use is intended.
请开门。
Qǐng kāi mén.
Please open the door.
switch on a device
With 灯, 开 means turn the light on. This is a useful collocation, not a claim that every use of 开 means open a physical cover.
请开灯。
Qǐng kāi dēng.
Please turn on the light.
Compare: 开门 opens a door; 开灯 switches on a light. In 开车, the whole phrase means drive a vehicle. To talk about opening its door, say 开车门. These selected uses are not a complete list of meanings of 开.
Try with a clue: 房间很暗，请开灯。房间很暗 means the room is dark. Which action is requested — open a door or turn on a light? Use 灯 as the clue.
Check your reasoning
Turn on a light. 灯 names the device being switched on; the request does not mention a door.
Try a fresh context: 爸爸开车去学校。爸爸 means Dad and 去学校 means go to school. How does Dad travel? Does this sentence describe opening a car door?
Check your reasoning
Dad drives to school. 开车 means drive; opening a car door would require a different object, such as 车门.
Use it in a new situation: You want someone to open the car door. Compare 请开车 and 请开车门. Choose the clearer request and explain the role of 门. Then give a different request using 开灯 or 开门.
Check your reasoning
请开车门 asks for the car door to be opened. 门 names the door; 请开车 asks someone to drive. A possible different request is 请开灯 — please turn on the light. Keep the object that identifies your intended action.
Recall later: Tomorrow, cover the examples and explain 开门, 开灯 and 开车. Make one fresh sentence for each. A few days later, check whether you can interpret the whole phrase before choosing an English verb.
These are selected reading and usage activities. Compare your reasoning before rating recall below; no automatic usage or pronunciation score is awarded.
to ask请to open a door (lit. and…开门。
qǐng kāi mén。
Show English meaning
Please open the door.
Here, 开: open; turn on; operate, depending on context.
More course examples (may introduce later-level language)
这辆车往Beijing, capital of the…北京to open (transitive or…开。
Here, 开: drive. Learn this use in its lesson.
train火车要开(completed / change)了。
Here, 开: leave. Learn this use in its lesson.
Dictionary senses and source
- open; turn on; operate, depending on context
- to open (transitive or intransitive)
- (of ships, vehicles, troops etc) to start
- to turn on
- to put in operation
- to operate
- to run
- to boil
- to write out (a prescription, check, invoice etc)
- (directional complement) away
- off
- carat (gold)
- abbr. for Kelvin, 開爾文|开尔文[Kai1 er3 wen2]
- abbr. for 開本|开本[kai1 ben3], book format
Original teaching usage; additional dictionary senses from CC-CEDICT; official sense numbers are not assigned automatically. Official entry 97, syllabus PDF page 82. Dictionary reading comparison: exact. Numbered senses in the official inventory are not assigned from the dictionary automatically.
Try saying or writing a short sentence with this word. Check the intended meaning, its position and the surrounding words; recall alone does not establish correct usage.
Rate the attempt you made before opening help. For a new word, choose “Review again” and try recalling it later.
偶尔
Reveal help
偶尔 · ǒu’ěr
occasionally; once in a while
I / me我occasionally偶尔to sit坐public transport vehicle公交车to go去to go to work上班。
wǒ ǒu ěr zuò gōng jiāo chē qù shàng bān。
Show English meaning
I occasionally take the bus to work.
Here, 偶尔: occasionally; once in a while.
Dictionary senses and source
- occasionally; once in a while
- occasionally
- once in a while
- sometimes
Original teaching usage; additional dictionary senses from CC-CEDICT; official sense numbers are not assigned automatically. Official entry 1541, syllabus PDF page 118. Dictionary reading comparison: exact. Numbered senses in the official inventory are not assigned from the dictionary automatically.
Try saying or writing a short sentence with this word. Check the intended meaning, its position and the surrounding words; recall alone does not establish correct usage.
Rate the attempt you made before opening help. For a new word, choose “Review again” and try recalling it later.
About this word list
The index includes all 5,400 official HSK 3.0 entries across six levels. Different readings and official entries remain separate. Original teaching examples illustrate particular uses; additional dictionary senses are reference support. This does not establish complete syllabus teaching or exam readiness.
Use example pinyin with the audio. 一 and 不 can change tone in ordinary speech; revisit tone changes if these sound different. 儿 can join the preceding syllable, as in huìr.
Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, CC BY-SA 4.0. Original teaching examples retain their course-reference attribution. Self-review is saved on this device; writing is not uploaded.