開天窗

Chinese

		open; operate (vehicle); start	skylight; hatchway; cupola skylight; hatchway; cupola; crack at the top of a cave or cliff that lets in light
trad. (開天窗)		開	天窗
simp. (开天窗)		开	天窗

Etymology

Combination of "開" (to open) and "天窗" (skylight [roof window]) to figuratively mean "to create a hole/gap/blank spot in something". The figurative use is more common than its literal meaning.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): kāitiānchuāng

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄞ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄔㄨㄤ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hoi¹ tin¹ coeng¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): khui-thiⁿ-thang

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kāitiānchuāng
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄞ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄔㄨㄤ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: kaitianchuang
    • Wade–Giles: kʻai¹-tʻien¹-chʻuang¹
    • Yale: kāi-tyān-chwāng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kaitianchuang
    • Palladius: кайтяньчуан (kajtjanʹčuan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hoi¹ tin¹ coeng¹
    • Yale: hōi tīn chēung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hoi¹ tin¹ tsoeng¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: hoi¹ tin¹ cêng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːi̯⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khui-thiⁿ-thang
    • Tâi-lô: khui-thinn-thang
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qui'tvi'tafng
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kʰui⁴⁴⁻²² tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² tʰaŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰui³³ tʰĩ³³ tʰaŋ³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰui⁴⁴⁻²² tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² tʰaŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰui⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰaŋ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰui⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ tʰaŋ⁴⁴/

Verb

開⫽天窗 (verb-object)

1. (literal) to open the skylight
2. (of finance) to embezzle money and tamper with the financial account

   會計給公司賬目開天窗 [MSC, trad.]
   会计给公司账目开天窗 [MSC, simp.]

   kuàijì gěi gōngsī zhàngmù kāitiānchuāng [Pinyin]

   The accountant embezzles the company fund.

3. (slang) to put something on hiatus; to postpone

   漫畫家給連載中的漫畫開天窗 [MSC, trad.]
   漫画家给连载中的漫画开天窗 [MSC, simp.]

   mànhuàjiā gěi liánzǎi zhōng de mànhuà kāitiānchuāng [Pinyin]

   The comic artist puts his series on hiatus.

4. (of newspapers) to intentionally leave a section blank to protest against censorship

Related terms

• 造假 (zàojiǎ, “to counterfeit”)
• 詐騙／诈骗 (zhàpiàn, “to swindle”)
• 休刊 (xiūkān, “to put publication on hiatus”)
• 停更 (tínggēng, “to stop updating”)
• 無聲抗議／无声抗议 (“to protest without making audible noise”)