<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=%E5%BC%80%E4%BC%9A" rel="noreferrer">开会</a> (“to host/attend a meeting”) is an example of a <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Separable_verb" rel="noreferrer">separable verb</a>—we can add content between the two characters. The 开 relates to the “hosting” whereas the 会 relates to the “meeting”, and the in-between content modifies the 会.</p>
<p>For example, we might say:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他在开一个会。  (“He is hosting a meeting.”)<br />
我们周五开一个三个小时的会。  (“On Fridays, we host a 3-hour meeting.”)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the given example, instead of a 会(“meeting”), it’s a 生日会 (“birthday party”), but the same idea applies.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>开一个生日会 (“to host a birthday party”)<br />
爸爸开儿子的生日会。 (“The father hosted his son’s birthday party.)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Alternatively, we can think of 开 itself as an independent verb.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-02T06:11:30.357Z
2020-12-02T06:11:30.357Z
Becky 李蓓
<p>Just as English say -- throw a party.</p>
<p>开 means to start up something, like start up a company -- 开公司.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T02:30:15.460Z
开公司 and 开会 are completely different.  开公司 = 建立公司, establish a company, 开会 = 举行会议 hold a meeting.
Victor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-04T09:55:30.277Z
開 does not mean hold by itself. It is about the commencement. 現在開會 means start the meeting now. "Hold" is an implicit consequence of "Start" a meeting. It's just like 開車, "Start a vehicle". One starts the engine of a vehicle and the vehicle moves. And then one drives the vehicle.
OmniBus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-02T01:56:49.943Z
2020-12-02T01:56:49.943Z
Zhang
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://cantoneseplus.com/character/237" rel="nofollow noreferrer">开</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>[6] [v] hold (meeting, exhibition, etc)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>开 has different meanings. The translation 'to hold' is not wrong in the context of '开一个生日会' (to hold a birthday party)</p>
<p><strong>开: to hold (e.g. meeting; concert)</strong></p>
<p>开会议 = to hold a meeting; 开音乐会 = to hold a concert</p>
<p>开: to open (e.g. door; window)</p>
<p>开: to set up and run (e.g. company; restaurant)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-02T03:33:16.897Z
2020-12-02T03:53:54.173Z
2020-12-02T03:53:54.173Z
Tang Ho
<ol start="0">
<li><p>For your example, <code>开</code> means <code>开始 (start)</code>, rather than <code>打开 (open)</code>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Originally, <code>开会</code> means <code>(召集)开始（一个）会议</code> <br/>
as you will also find <code>闭会</code> as the opposite, which means <code>关闭会议</code>. (And <code>休会</code>, <code>复会</code>.)</p>
</li>
<li><p>As it is used more frequently, people acknowledge the pattern of <code>开......会</code>, <br/>other examples like <code>开庙会</code>, <code>开晚会</code>, etc.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Then as &quot;birthday party&quot; is translated as <code>生日会</code>, (<code>会</code> could be a gathering of people), <br/>
people just keep the pattern and use <code>开生日会</code>, which, in English, means &quot;hold a party&quot;.  <br/>
And well, the formal translation of &quot;hold a meeting&quot; should be <code>召开/举行/举办 一场会议</code>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Btw, we also say <code>生日派对</code> these days though, we keep the same verb and say <code>&quot;开&quot;生日派对</code> or <code>&quot;举办&quot;生日派对</code>.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-02T22:22:40.080Z
2020-12-02T22:28:06.110Z
2020-12-02T22:28:06.110Z
Shaw
<p>My book says that &quot;to host a party&quot; is written as...
开一个生日会
Example:
她想在家里开一个生日会。</p>
<p>The reason I am confused is because everywhere I look, 开 means to open. However, the book translates it as &quot;to hold&quot;. I have been told that the 你好 book, which is what I am learning from, can translate some words in <em>strange ways</em> so I guess what I am asking is, if this sentence is correct, why is 开 used?</p>

<grammar><meaning><sentence-structure><simplified-characters>
开一个生日会 explanation as to why 开 is used here?
# 开一个生日会 explanation as to why 开 is used here?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-02)

My book says that "to host a party" is written as...
开一个生日会
Example:
她想在家里开一个生日会。

The reason I am confused is because everywhere I look, 开 means to open. However, the book translates it as "to hold". I have been told that the 你好 book, which is what I am learning from, can translate some words in *strange ways* so I guess what I am asking is, if this sentence is correct, why is 开 used?

**Tags:** grammar, meaning, sentence-structure, simplified-characters

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-02. Score: 7

[开会](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E5%BC%80%E4%BC%9A) (“to host/attend a meeting”) is an example of a [separable verb](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Separable_verb)—we can add content between the two characters. The 开 relates to the “hosting” whereas the 会 relates to the “meeting”, and the in-between content modifies the 会.

For example, we might say:

> 他在开一个会。 (“He is hosting a meeting.”)  
> 我们周五开一个三个小时的会。 (“On Fridays, we host a 3-hour meeting.”)

In the given example, instead of a 会(“meeting”), it’s a 生日会 (“birthday party”), but the same idea applies.

> 开一个生日会 (“to host a birthday party”)  
> 爸爸开儿子的生日会。 (“The father hosted his son’s birthday party.)

Alternatively, we can think of 开 itself as an independent verb.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-02. Score: 5

Just as English say -- throw a party.

开 means to start up something, like start up a company -- 开公司.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 开公司 and 开会 are completely different.  开公司 = 建立公司, establish a company, 开会 = 举行会议 hold a meeting.  
> **username_4**: 開 does not mean hold by itself. It is about the commencement. 現在開會 means start the meeting now. "Hold" is an implicit consequence of "Start" a meeting. It's just like 開車, "Start a vehicle". One starts the engine of a vehicle and the vehicle moves. And then one drives the vehicle.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-12-02. Score: 3

> [开](https://cantoneseplus.com/character/237)

> [6] [v] hold (meeting, exhibition, etc)

开 has different meanings. The translation 'to hold' is not wrong in the context of '开一个生日会' (to hold a birthday party)

**开: to hold (e.g. meeting; concert)**

开会议 = to hold a meeting; 开音乐会 = to hold a concert

开: to open (e.g. door; window)

开: to set up and run (e.g. company; restaurant)


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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-12-02. Score: 1

0. For your example, `开` means `开始 (start)`, rather than `打开 (open)`.
1. Originally, `开会` means `(召集)开始（一个）会议`   
   as you will also find `闭会` as the opposite, which means `关闭会议`. (And `休会`, `复会`.)
2. As it is used more frequently, people acknowledge the pattern of `开......会`,   
   other examples like `开庙会`, `开晚会`, etc.
3. Then as "birthday party" is translated as `生日会`, (`会` could be a gathering of people),   
   people just keep the pattern and use `开生日会`, which, in English, means "hold a party".   
   And well, the formal translation of "hold a meeting" should be `召开/举行/举办 一场会议`.
4. Btw, we also say `生日派对` these days though, we keep the same verb and say `"开"生日派对` or `"举办"生日派对`.


---

