开拓 (kāi tuò) — Chinese Word

verb HSK 5

Traditional 開拓

kāi tuò

to open up · to develop · to expand · to pioneer

Meaning

开拓 means to open up new territory, expand into new areas, or develop something previously untapped. It carries a sense of pioneering effort and breaking new ground, whether physically (like opening farmland) or figuratively (like developing new markets or ideas).

Usage

This word is commonly used in business, academic, and formal contexts when discussing expansion, innovation, or development. It often appears in phrases like 开拓市场 (open up markets) or 开拓视野 (broaden one's horizons). The tone is positive and ambitious, suggesting proactive effort to create new opportunities.

Examples

01
这家公司正在努力开拓海外市场。
Zhè jiā gōng sī zhèng zài nǔ lì kāi tuò hǎi wài shì chǎng.
This company is working hard to expand into overseas markets.
02
读书可以帮助我们开拓视野，了解不同的文化。
Dú shū kě yǐ bāng zhù wǒ men kāi tuò shì yě, liǎo jiě bù tóng de wén huà.
Reading can help us broaden our horizons and understand different cultures.

Characters

Common collocations

开拓市场
kāi tuò shì chǎng
to open up markets
开拓视野
kāi tuò shì yě
to broaden one's horizons
开拓精神
kāi tuò jīng shén
pioneering spirit
开拓创新
kāi tuò chuàng xīn
to pioneer and innovate

Antonyms

Origin

The character 拓 originally meant to make a rubbing of an inscription, but came to mean expand or extend. Combined with 开 (to open), the compound emphasizes opening up and expanding into new territory.