開ける

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 窓を開けてください。▶ —
   Please open the window.
2. 新しい店が開きました。▶ —
   A new shop has opened.

Collocations

Mnemonic

あける — 開ける, Yamato. An ichidan verb. Transitive. The intransitive pair is 開く aku (to come open) ── 開ける / 開く form one set. The same verb covers doors, windows, lids, shops, bank accounts. The fun part: the sound 'akeru' splits across three kanji ── 開ける: open physically (a window, a door, a shop). 明ける: light comes in (夜が明ける = day breaks). 空ける: empty out (席を空ける = leave a seat empty). Three kanji live on one sound; context and the written character decide which meaning. What sustains all this richness is the kanji system itself ── where sound alone runs short, the script carries the difference.

Quick check

1. Reading difference between 夜が明ける and 窓を開ける?

   • Same reading akeru, different kanji — meaning resolved by context and kanji
   • 夜 reads yake, 窓 reads ake
   • 夜 reads akeru, 窓 reads hiraku
   • Different reading and meaning