The can member (10) is provided with a pair of scorings (16) which define a tear-off strip (18) laterally. A tongue (20) produced as a separate sheet-metal member is welded onto the tear-off strip (18) in a welding region (42) at one of its ends. Between the welding region (42) and the free end (32) of the tongue (20), a starting scoring (30) extends over the tear-off strip (18). The starting scoring (30) extends substantially transversely to the lateral scorings (16) only in a central region of the tear-off strip (18) and extends away from the free end (32) of the tongue (20) in the vicinity of the two lateral scorings (16). The welding region (42) covers the starting scoring (30) in the vicinity of each of the two lateral scorings (16). As a result, care is taken to ensure that a tearing open operation can be reliably initiated by rolling up the tongue, substantially regardless of inaccuracies in manufacture.