啓 meaning and stroke order
To open; to explain; to begin
How to write 啓, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 啓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- variant of 啟|启[qi3]
How 啓 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To knock 攵 at the door 户.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 啓
Picture a hand knocking 攵 on a door 户, and a mouth 口 below speaking up. You knock, the door opens, and someone begins to talk: to open, to begin, to explain.
啓 is a variant form of 启 (qǐ), which is what you will see in mainland simplified text. 啓 mostly appears in older texts, names, and some Hong Kong or Japanese-influenced writing. Example: 啓事 (qǐshì) means a public notice, as in 尋人啓事 (xún rén qǐshì) "missing person notice".
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 啓 with 啟, another traditional variant that uses 攴 written as 攵 beside 户 with 口 placed differently. Both mean the same thing, but in simplified Chinese you should write 启 (qǐ), which drops the 攵.
Questions about 啓
How many strokes are in 啓?
啓 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 啓 mean?
啓 (qǐ) means to open; to explain; to begin.
How do you pronounce 啓?
啓 is pronounced qǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 啓?
The radical of 啓 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 啓 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 啓?
啓 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 启, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Which common words use 啓 or 启?
Common ones are 启动 (qǐdòng, to start up), 启发 (qǐfā, to inspire), and 开启 (kāiqǐ, to open). In traditional text you may see these written with 啓 or 啟.
Why does 啓 sometimes appear at the end of letters?
In formal letters, 敬啓 or 謹啓 (jǐn qǐ) is written after the sender's name. It is a polite way of saying "respectfully stated", from the sense of 啓 meaning to explain or report.