---
title: "Kaigong Meaning: 开工 (kāigōng) Means “to start work”"
description: "开工 (traditional 開工, kāigōng) means “to start work; to begin production”. Hear its tones, see what 开 and 工 each mean."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/kaigong"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 开工 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

开工 kāigōng

## to start work; to begin production

## It can also mean

- to start construction

## Its characters

1. 开 kāi to start
2. 工 gōng work

## In a sentence

[See 开工 in use](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%BC%80%E5%B7%A5)

## More words with 开 or 工

- [打工 dǎgōng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dagong)
- [打工人 dǎgōngrén](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dagongren)
- [打开 dǎkāi](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/dakai)
- [分工 fēngōng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/fengong)
- [分开 fēnkāi](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/fenkai)
- [工厂 gōngchǎng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gongchang)
- [工程 gōngchéng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gongcheng)
- [工程师 gōngchéngshī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gongchengshi)
- [工地 gōngdì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gongdi)
- [工会 gōnghuì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gonghui)

## Keep 开工 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

## Look up another word

## See any word in its sentence

Get a card like this for every word on any page or YouTube subtitle.

[Add to Chrome](https://mandarinthewild.com/go/chrome?from=%2Fmeaning%2Fkaigong) [Read in the Library](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

[Every free Chinese tool we make](https://mandarinthewild.com/tools)

[How it compares with Language Reactor](https://mandarinthewild.com/compare/language-reactor)
