Explanation at your level:
If you lose your job, you can use this word. It means you are not allowed to work there anymore. If a student is very bad, they might be 开除 from school. It is a serious word.
You use 开除 when a company tells an employee they must leave. It is the opposite of being hired. You might hear 'He was 开除 because he was late every day.' It is important to use this only for serious situations.
In a professional context, 开除 describes the termination of a contract. It is different from 'quitting' (辞职), which is the employee's choice. 开除 is the employer's decision. It is used in both business and academic environments to denote a permanent separation.
The term 开除 carries a significant negative connotation. While 'let go' or 'laid off' might be used for budget cuts, 开除 specifically implies fault or disciplinary action. It is a formal term used in HR policies and school handbooks to define the consequences of misconduct.
At an advanced level, understand that 开除 is a performative verb. The act of saying it or issuing the notice effectively ends the legal or social relationship between the parties. It is often used in legal or administrative documents to signify a breach of contract or violation of policy. It is rarely used metaphorically; it remains a concrete term for organizational exclusion.
Mastery of 开除 involves understanding its weight in Chinese culture. In a society that values group harmony, being 开除 is more than just losing income; it is a loss of 'face' (面子). Consequently, the word is used with extreme caution. In literary or historical contexts, it may be replaced by more archaic terms, but in modern society, 开除 remains the standard, harsh reality of professional or academic dismissal.
Word in 30 Seconds
- 开除 means to fire or expel.
- It is a formal and serious action.
- It is always initiated by an authority.
- It is distinct from quitting voluntarily.
The term 开除 (kāichú) is a powerful verb in Mandarin Chinese used to describe the act of firing an employee or expelling a student. Think of it as the ultimate 'you are no longer welcome here' moment.
It is not used for casual situations like quitting a job voluntarily. Instead, it carries the weight of an official decision made by an authority figure, such as a boss or a school principal. When you hear this word, it usually signals that a line has been crossed.
The word is composed of two characters: 开 (kāi), meaning to open or remove, and 除 (chú), meaning to eliminate or exclude. Historically, this combination suggests the act of 'opening' the gates to let someone out of the group permanently.
In ancient administrative contexts, this phrasing was used to describe removing an official from the imperial registry. Over time, it evolved into the modern standard for workplace and academic termination.
You will most commonly see this used in professional settings. Common collocations include 被开除 (bèi kāichú - to be fired) or 开除学籍 (kāichú xuéjí - to be expelled from school).
Because the word is quite blunt and serious, it is rarely used in casual conversation unless you are discussing a specific disciplinary event. In a professional setting, people might use softer euphemisms like 'let go,' but 开除 is the direct, unambiguous term.
While 开除 itself is a direct verb, it appears in several fixed expressions:
- 开除公职: Dismissal from a government or public service position.
- 勒令退学: A formal way to describe being forced to leave school, often synonymous with expulsion.
- 炒鱿鱼: A slang term for 'getting fired' (literally 'stir-frying squid'), which is much more informal than 开除.
- 解雇: A synonym often used in business contracts, slightly more formal than the bluntness of 开除.
- 除名: To remove one's name from a list or organization.
Grammatically, 开除 functions as a transitive verb. You can say 'The boss fired him' as 老板开除了他. Note that the 'le' (了) particle is often added to indicate the action has been completed.
The pronunciation is 'kāi' (first tone) and 'chú' (second tone). It is a crisp, two-syllable word. There are no plural forms as it is a verb, but it is frequently used in the passive voice with 被 (bèi).
Fun Fact
The term has roots in administrative bureaucracy.
Pronunciation Guide
Approximated sounds.
Approximated sounds.
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing tones
- Confusing 'ch' with 'q'
- Flat tone
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Common in news.
Useful for formal writing.
Useful for serious topics.
Common in daily news.
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Passive Voice with 被
他被开除了。
Causal Clauses
因为...所以...
Verb-Object Structure
开除 + 人
Examples by Level
他被开除了。
He was fired.
Passive voice with 被.
他被学校开除了。
He was expelled from school.
Used for school context.
不要开除我。
Don't fire me.
Imperative form.
他因为迟到被开除。
He was fired because of being late.
Reason clause.
老板开除了他。
The boss fired him.
Subject-verb-object.
她被公司开除了。
She was fired by the company.
Company as agent.
我不想要被开除。
I don't want to be fired.
Negative desire.
谁被开除了？
Who was fired?
Question form.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"炒鱿鱼"
To get fired
他被炒鱿鱼了。
casual"卷铺盖走人"
To pack up and leave (fired)
他不得不卷铺盖走人。
casual"丢掉饭碗"
To lose one's job
他担心丢掉饭碗。
neutral"下岗"
To be laid off
工厂裁员，很多人下岗了。
neutral"被请出局"
To be forced out
他最终被请出局了。
formal"扫地出门"
To be kicked out
他被扫地出门了。
casualEasily Confused
Both relate to leaving a job
辞职 is voluntary, 开除 is forced
他辞职了 vs 他被开除了
Both mean losing a job
裁员 is for budget, 开除 is for misconduct
公司裁员了 vs 他被开除了
Both mean firing
解雇 is more business-oriented
他被解雇了
Both involve removal
除名 is for lists/membership
他被除名了
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 被 + 开除
他被开除了。
因为 + Reason + 被 + 开除
因为迟到，他被开除了。
Subject + 决定 + 开除 + Object
老板决定开除他。
面临 + 开除 + 的风险
他面临开除的风险。
收到 + 开除 + 通知
他收到了开除通知。
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Related
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
开除 is forced by the employer, 辞职 is voluntary.
裁员 is due to economic reasons, 开除 is due to misconduct.
开除 is for organizational settings only.
开除 is a verb, not a noun.
The object is the person, not the job.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine a door opening and someone being pushed out.
Context Check
Only use for formal authority.
Face Saving
Be careful when using this word.
Passive Voice
Always use 被 for the victim.
Tones
Focus on the 1st and 2nd tones.
Don't confuse with quitting
Never use for yourself.
History
It has ancient administrative roots.
Contextualize
Read HR policies.
Professionalism
Use in formal reports.
Object
The person is the object.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'opening' the door to 'remove' someone.
Visual Association
A boss pointing at an office door.
Word Web
Challenge
Use it in a sentence about a fictional character.
Word Origin
Chinese
Original meaning: To open/remove and exclude.
Cultural Context
Highly sensitive; causes loss of face.
Similar to 'fired' or 'terminated'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Workplace
- 被开除
- 开除通知
- 无故开除
School
- 开除学籍
- 勒令退学
- 作弊被开除
Legal
- 解除合同
- 开除公职
- 法律程序
HR Meeting
- 谈话
- 开除决定
- 离职手续
Conversation Starters
"What are the most common reasons people get fired?"
"How does being fired affect a person's career?"
"Is it common for schools to expel students?"
"What is the difference between being laid off and fired?"
"Have you ever heard of someone being fired unfairly?"
Journal Prompts
Describe a time you saw someone lose their job.
Write about the importance of following rules at work.
How would you handle a situation where you had to fire someone?
Reflect on the impact of job security.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, it is for professional/academic settings.
No, 辞职 is voluntary.
It is a blunt, formal term.
Use 裁员 instead.
No, that would be humorous/wrong.
Yes, usually misconduct.
Yes, in termination clauses.
Use '解除劳动合同'.
Test Yourself
他因为迟到被___。
开除 is the only logical verb here.
Which means to be fired?
开除 is the synonym for being fired.
开除 means to quit voluntarily.
开除 is forced by the employer.
Word
Meaning
Matching terms to meanings.
Standard passive structure.
Score: /5
Summary
开除 is the formal, forced termination of an individual's role in an organization due to misconduct.
- 开除 means to fire or expel.
- It is a formal and serious action.
- It is always initiated by an authority.
- It is distinct from quitting voluntarily.
Memory Palace
Imagine a door opening and someone being pushed out.
Context Check
Only use for formal authority.
Face Saving
Be careful when using this word.
Passive Voice
Always use 被 for the victim.
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
Related Phrases
More work words
充裕的
B2Abundant, ample, or sufficient in quantity.
事故
A2accident; mishap
依照
A2According to; in accordance with.
准确地
A2accurately, precisely
做到
A2to achieve; to accomplish
积极地
A2actively; enthusiastically
应变
B2Adaptive; capable of dealing with emergencies.
行政
A2Administration; the management of affairs.
过后
A2Afterwards; at a later or subsequent time.
赞同
A2To approve of, to endorse; to agree with or support.
