Meaning
开放 literally means 'to open and release.' It describes both physical opening (like parks, buildings, or borders) and metaphorical openness (like minds, policies, or attitudes). It's commonly used to discuss China's reform and opening-up policy (改革开放) and can describe people who are outgoing or liberal in their thinking.
Usage
Native speakers use 开放 for public spaces opening to visitors, policies becoming less restrictive, or describing open-minded personalities. It often appears in official or formal contexts when discussing policy, but is also casual when describing personality traits. Common in phrases like '对外开放' (open to the outside world) and '思想开放' (open-minded).
Examples
- 01这个公园每天早上六点开放。.This park opens at 6 a.m. every day.
- 02她是一个很开放的人，容易接受新想法。, .She is a very open-minded person who easily accepts new ideas.
Characters
Common collocations
- 对外开放to open up to the outside world
- 改革开放reform and opening-up (policy)
- 思想开放open-minded
- 开放时间opening hours
Antonyms
Origin
Combines 开 (to open) with 放 (to release/let go), creating the sense of opening up and allowing free access or flow. The term gained prominence in modern Chinese through Deng Xiaoping's '改革开放' (Reform and Opening-up) policy starting in 1978.