隔开

• Pinyin: gé kāi
• Hanzi breakdown: 隔 = 阝+ 鬲 — to separate; 开 = to open/spread apart — resulting in division

Meaning

To separate; to partition; to keep apart. The act of creating a physical division between things or people.

A verb-complement construction (隔 + 开) emphasising the result of separation. Used for physically dividing spaces, separating people, or partitioning areas. More action-oriented than 隔 alone, which can simply describe existing distance.

Examples

1. 这道墙把两个房间隔开了。 This wall separates the two rooms.
2. 老师让吵架的两个学生隔开坐。 The teacher told the two arguing students to sit apart.
3. 用一块布把这个空间隔开吧。 Use a piece of cloth to partition off this space.

Usage Guide

Context: spatial, practical

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 请把这两种东西隔开放。(Please keep these two things separated.)
• 一条河把两个村子隔开了。(A river separates the two villages.)

Don't Say

• 把时间隔开 (Awkward — 隔开 is for physical separation; for spacing out time, say 把时间分开 or 隔一段时间)

Origin & History

隔 (to separate) + 开 (open/apart). A verb-complement construction meaning to move apart or partition into separate sections.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal