Correct
开始 vs 开头
/ kāishǐ vs kāitóu /
Strokes
Definition
开始 as a Verb or Noun, and 开头 just as a Noun, which both means [begin; start], indicate the initial stage of development.
Example
开始 and 开头 have different stresses, 开始 is just a beginning stage, while 开头 means "the beginning of an obvious process". 开头 is more colloquial.
It is not suitable to use 开头 in example ①. If 开始 is used in example ②, one ought to say 开始的时候 or 开始的部分.
1
Hǎo
好
de
的
kāishǐ
开始
shì
是
chénggōng
成功
de
的
yībàn
一半
。
A good beginning is half done.
2
Gùshì
故事
de
的
kāitóu
开头
hái
还
tǐng
挺
yǒuyìsi
有意思
,
hòulái
后来
jiù
就
bùxíng
不行
le
了
。
The beginning of the story is interesting,but the rest is not so.
开始 is also a verb, meaning "to start from the beginning or from a certain point". 开头 is also a verb-object phrase, meaning "to start from the beginning", which is very colloquial.
1) Following is a comparison of the verb 开始 and the verb-object phrase 开头.
2) 开头 cannot be used either in example ③ or example ④.
3) 开始 cannot be used in examples ⑤ and ⑥, since 开始 only means "to start from the beginning", but 开头 stresses "how a process begins from the very beginning". Especially, here 开了个头 is rather special.
2) 开头 cannot be used either in example ③ or example ④.
3) 开始 cannot be used in examples ⑤ and ⑥, since 开始 only means "to start from the beginning", but 开头 stresses "how a process begins from the very beginning". Especially, here 开了个头 is rather special.
3
Xiànzài
现在
kāishǐ
开始
shàngkè
上课
。
Now class be-gins.
4
Dàhuì
大会
kāishǐ
开始
le
了
。
Now the meeting begins.
5
Zhè
这
cháng
场
tǎolùn
讨论
gāng
刚
kāi
开
le
了
gètóu
个头
。
This is just the beginning of the discussion.
6
Wǒ
我
bù
不
zhīdào
知道
zhè
这
piān
篇
wénzhāng
文章
zěnme
怎么
kāitóu
开头
hǎo
好
。
I don't know how to begin the article.
开始 and 开头 are interchangeable as there is obviously a process (学期 and 讲故事).
Either word can mean "the start of the process", but 开头 is more obvious in this aspect.
7
Zhè
这
xuéqī
学期
gāng
刚
kāishǐ
开始
(
kāitóu
开头
)
,
háiyǒu
还有
sān
三
gè
个
duō
多
yuè
月
ne
呢
。
This is just the beginning of the term, and there are over three months left.
8
Tā
他
jiǎng
讲
de
的
gùshì
故事
cái
才
kāishǐ
开始
(
kāitóu
开头
)
,
nǐ
你
mànmàn
慢慢
tīng
听
bā
吧
!
He just starts telling his story, and you'd better follow it with patience.