<p>Compared with 关闭起大门，we use 把大门关闭起来 more often.</p>
<p>In this structure, 起 or 起来 is used after a verb as supplementary to express taking action, starting to do something. Here come a few examples:</p>
<p>走起！ Let us go.</p>
<p>唱起来！ Start to sing!</p>
<p>走起来，走起来，不要停！ Move! Move! Do not stop!</p>
<p>他很难过，但是他没有哭，反而唱起歌了。 He was sad, but he did not cry, instead he started to sing songs.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-17T02:42:06.463Z
2022-08-17T02:42:06.463Z
Henryfrombeijing
<p>Actually 起 in this sentence sounds a little stilt for native Chinese speakers for 闭 and 起 both serve as a complement which is grammatically false. As you can see in the picture <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/v8vXF.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/v8vXF.jpg" alt="here" /></a>, this kind of connection is almost non-existent in Baidu, which is  the most used search engine in China. Therefore this sentence is a sick one for standard Chinese, or rather an abusage.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-15T17:09:07.610Z
"關(閉)起來" is used exclusively in closing the physical things that have a gap between the parts such as doors and windows - 把窗户關(閉)起來, 把電腦蓋子關(閉)起來, 把電源關(閉)起來....  The word "關閉" in your examples is strictly used as a verb which means "close down" to end something.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-16T07:26:55.523Z
I only wantant to stress that "關閉起" (including "關閉起來") is an odd expression, try to use "把……關起來""關閉……" as a better substitution for it.
渭北春天樹
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-16T11:53:53.707Z
I agree. 閉 is redundant on most occasions  (see comment under my answer).
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-15T07:15:05.850Z
2022-08-15T07:15:05.850Z
渭北春天樹
<p>The phrase consists of 3 parts - 只要(As long as)关闭<strong>起</strong>(closes <strong>up</strong>)大门(the gate), which is equivalent to &quot;只要(As long as)关闭(closes)大门(the gate).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-14T22:39:06.727Z
I wonder if you'd accept 关闭上 as a perfectly equivalent synonym in this sentence (and, if not, why not).
Sanchuan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-14T22:49:41.593Z
Yes, it is acceptable. Actually, in both cases, 闭 is highly redundant.  关上大门 = 关起大门 = close up the gate.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-14T19:52:55.653Z
2022-08-14T19:52:55.653Z
r13
<blockquote>
<p>只要关闭起大门，四合院内便形成一个封闭式的小环境。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 14.</p>
<p>What is the meaning of 起？</p>
<p>I am here:</p>
<p>只要(as long as)关闭(close)起(starts)大门(the big door).</p>
<p>But I am really perplexed since the 只要(as long as) has duration, while the 起(starts) happens once, so I cannot make it have sense.</p>

<meaning-in-context>
What exactly is the meaning of 起 in 只要关闭起大门？
# What exactly is the meaning of 起 in 只要关闭起大门？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-14)

> 只要关闭起大门，四合院内便形成一个封闭式的小环境。

This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 14.

What is the meaning of 起？

I am here:

只要(as long as)关闭(close)起(starts)大门(the big door).

But I am really perplexed since the 只要(as long as) has duration, while the 起(starts) happens once, so I cannot make it have sense.

**Tags:** meaning-in-context

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-08-17. Score: 2

Compared with 关闭起大门，we use 把大门关闭起来 more often.

In this structure, 起 or 起来 is used after a verb as supplementary to express taking action, starting to do something. Here come a few examples:

走起！ Let us go.

唱起来！ Start to sing!

走起来，走起来，不要停！ Move! Move! Do not stop!

他很难过，但是他没有哭，反而唱起歌了。 He was sad, but he did not cry, instead he started to sing songs.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-08-15. Score: 1

Actually 起 in this sentence sounds a little stilt for native Chinese speakers for 闭 and 起 both serve as a complement which is grammatically false. As you can see in the picture [![here](https://i.sstatic.net/v8vXF.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/v8vXF.jpg), this kind of connection is almost non-existent in Baidu, which is the most used search engine in China. Therefore this sentence is a sick one for standard Chinese, or rather an abusage.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: "關(閉)起來" is used exclusively in closing the physical things that have a gap between the parts such as doors and windows - 把窗户關(閉)起來, 把電腦蓋子關(閉)起來, 把電源關(閉)起來....  The word "關閉" in your examples is strictly used as a verb which means "close down" to end something.  
> **username_2**: I only wantant to stress that "關閉起" (including "關閉起來") is an odd expression, try to use "把……關起來""關閉……" as a better substitution for it.  
> **username_3**: I agree. 閉 is redundant on most occasions  (see comment under my answer).  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-08-14. Score: 1

The phrase consists of 3 parts - 只要(As long as)关闭**起**(closes **up**)大门(the gate), which is equivalent to "只要(As long as)关闭(closes)大门(the gate).

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: I wonder if you'd accept 关闭上 as a perfectly equivalent synonym in this sentence (and, if not, why not).  
> **username_3**: Yes, it is acceptable. Actually, in both cases, 闭 is highly redundant.  关上大门 = 关起大门 = close up the gate.  

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