发生 meaning in English
to happen; to occur; to take place; to arise (e.g. 發生問題|发生问题[fa1 sheng1 wen4 ti2] "a problem arises")
Meaning of 发生
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to happen; to occur; to take place; to arise (e.g. 發生問題|发生问题[fa1 sheng1 wen4 ti2] "a problem arises")
How to use 发生
发生 is used for events, especially unexpected or notable ones like accidents, problems, or changes. It often appears in questions and news. Example: 这里发生了什么事？(Zhèlǐ fāshēng le shénme shì?) What happened here?
发 (fā) means to send out or emit, and 生 (shēng) means to be born or produce. When something is sent out and comes into being, it happens.
Common mistake: Learners often use 发生 for planned events, like a party or meeting. For those, use 举行 (jǔxíng) or 有 (yǒu), since 发生 sounds like something unexpected occurred. Also keep the tones as first plus first: fāshēng, not fàshēng.
发生 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
发 fā · to send out · 5 strokes
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- 5
生 shēng · to grow · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 发生.
| 先生 | xiānsheng | teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.) |
| 医生 | yīshēng | doctor; medical practitioner |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be furious; vitality; liveliness |
| 学生 | xuéshēng | student; schoolchild |
| 生日 | shēngrì | birthday |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | to fall ill |
| 女生 | nǚshēng | schoolgirl; female student |
| 男生 | nánshēng | schoolboy; male student |
| 大学生 | dàxuéshēng | university student; college student |
| 小学生 | xiǎoxuéshēng | primary school student; schoolchild |
| 中学生 | zhōngxuéshēng | middle-school student; high school student |
| 生活 | shēnghuó | to live; life |
Questions about 发生
What does 发生 mean?
发生 (fāshēng) means "to happen; to occur; to take place; to arise (e.g. 發生問題|发生问题[fa1 sheng1 wen4 ti2] "a problem arises")" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 发生?
发生 is made of 2 characters: 发 (5 strokes), 生 (5 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 发生 an HSK word?
Yes. 发生 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 发生 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 发生 is written 發生.
Can 发生 take an object?
Yes. The thing that happens can come after it, as in 发生问题 (fāshēng wèntí) a problem arises, or 发生了一件事 (fāshēng le yí jiàn shì) something happened. The place or time usually comes before 发生.
What is the difference between 发生 and 出现?
发生 focuses on an event taking place, such as an accident or a change. 出现 (chūxiàn) means to appear or show up, and it is used more for people, things, or situations becoming visible.