开阔

• Pinyin: kāi kuò
• Hanzi breakdown: 开 = to open; 阔 = gate (门) + 活 (alive/movable) — wide, broad

Meaning

Spacious; broad; wide; to broaden (one's horizons).

Describes something that is wide and unobstructed — landscapes, spaces, or figuratively, one's vision or thinking. As a verb, means to broaden or widen. Collocates with 视野 (vision), 眼界 (horizons), 胸怀 (mindset), 地带 (area).

Examples

1. 站在山顶俯瞰，视野无比开阔，远处的城市尽收眼底。 Standing on the mountaintop looking down, the view is incredibly vast — the distant city is all visible.
2. 多出去走走能开阔眼界，了解不同的文化和生活方式。 Getting out more can broaden your horizons and help you understand different cultures and lifestyles.
3. 他性格开阔，不计较小事，所以朋友很多。 He has a broad-minded personality and doesn't fuss over small matters, so he has many friends.

Usage Guide

Context: description, personal development, landscape

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这片草原非常开阔。(This grassland is very spacious.)
• 读万卷书能开阔视野。(Reading extensively can broaden your horizons.)

Don't Say

• 这个房间很开阔，只有五平米。(Five square meters is tiny — 开阔 implies genuinely spacious)

Origin & History

开 (to open, spread) + 阔 (wide, broad). Open and wide.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal