發 meaning and stroke order
To issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
How to write 發, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 發
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to send out
- to show (one's feeling)
- to issue
- to develop
- to make a bundle of money
- classifier for gunshots (rounds)
How 發 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bow.
弓 gives the meaning and 癶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 癶 (legs), shared by 4 characters on this site.
How to remember 發
發 is built from 癶 on top, which gives the sound, and 弓 (gōng, bow) plus 殳 (a hand holding a weapon) below. Picture a hand drawing a bow 弓 and letting the arrow fly: that is sending something out.
發 (fā) is a very common verb meaning to send out, issue, or develop, and it appears in many key words like 發現 (fāxiàn, discover), 發生 (fāshēng, happen), and 發展 (fāzhǎn, develop). It can also mean getting rich, as in 發財 (fācái). Example: 我們明天早上出發。(Wǒmen míngtiān zǎoshang chūfā.) We set off tomorrow morning.
Common mistake: In simplified Chinese, 發 (fā, send out) and 髮 (fà, hair) both became 发, so learners reading traditional text often write 發 for hair. Hair in traditional script is 髮 (fà, fourth tone), as in 頭髮 (tóufa), not 發.
Common words with 發
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 發現 | fāxiàn | to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect | HSK 2 |
| 出發 | chūfā | to set off; to start (on a journey); (fig.) to proceed from (a particular standpoint or ba | HSK 2 |
| 發生 | fāshēng | to happen; to occur; to take place; to arise (e.g. 發生問題|发生问题[fa1 sheng1 wen4 ti2] "a probl | HSK 3 |
| 發展 | fāzhǎn | development; growth | HSK 3 |
| 發出 | fāchū | to issue (an order, decree etc); to send out; to dispatch; to produce (a sound); to let ou | HSK 3 |
| 發明 | fāmíng | to invent; an invention | HSK 3 |
| 沙發 | shāfā | (loanword) sofa (CL:條|条[tiao2],張|张[zhang1]); (Internet slang) first reply to a forum post | HSK 3 |
| 發表 | fābiǎo | to issue; to publish | HSK 3 |
| 發動 | fādòng | to start; to launch | HSK 3 |
| 發送 | fāsòng | to transmit; to dispatch | HSK 3 |
| 開發 | kāifā | to exploit (a resource); to open up (for development); to develop | HSK 3 |
| 發言 | fāyán | to make a speech; statement | HSK 3 |
| 發達 | fādá | well-developed; flourishing; to develop; to promote; to expand | HSK 3 |
| 發揮 | fāhuī | to display; to exhibit | HSK 4 |
Characters that contain 發
Learning 發 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 發
How many strokes are in 發?
發 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 發 mean?
發 (fā) means to issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair. A common word with it is 发现 (fāxiàn), meaning "to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect".
How do you pronounce 發?
發 is pronounced fā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 發?
The radical of 發 is 癶, which carries the idea of "legs". Dictionaries list 發 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 發?
發 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 发, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I say "send a message" with 發?
Use 發 with the thing sent, as in 發短信 (fā duǎnxìn, send a text) or 發郵件 (fā yóujiàn, send an email). In casual speech 發 alone often means to send or post something online.
Why is sofa written 沙發 (shāfā)?
沙發 is a loanword chosen for its sound, imitating the English word sofa. The characters 沙 (sand) and 發 (send out) are not used for their meanings here.