open · enlighten

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 啓 is associated with opening or awakening understanding; its on-reading is けい.
• Basic usage: 啓発, read けいはつ, describes raising awareness, as with road safety, or encouraging people to think for themselves.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 拝啓 at the beginning of a letter
  • 拝啓, read はいけい, is a salutation at the start of a formal letter.
  • In a letter opening with 拝啓 and closing with 敬具, the two expressions form an opening-and-closing pair.