Meaning of 启发
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to enlighten
- to explain (a text etc)
- to stimulate (a mental attitude)
- enlightenment
- revelation
- motivation
How to use 启发
启发 works as a verb meaning to inspire or prompt someone to think, and as a noun meaning inspiration or insight. A very common pattern is 对……有启发 or 给……很大的启发. Example: 这本书给了我很大的启发。(Zhè běn shū gěi le wǒ hěn dà de qǐfā.) This book gave me a lot of inspiration.
启 (qǐ) means to open, and 发 (fā) means to send out or develop. When something opens your mind and sends out new ideas, it gives you 启发 (qǐfā), inspiration.
Common mistake: Learners often write 启 with 户 on top but forget the 口 underneath, or confuse it with 后 (hòu). Also, 发 here is first tone fā, not the fǎ of 头发 (tóufa) in some regional readings or the neutral fa.
启发 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.
启 qǐ · to open · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
发 fā · to send out · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 启发.
| 发现 | fāxiàn | to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off; to start (on a journey); (fig.) to proceed from (a particular standpoint or ba |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) |
| 发生 | 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 |
| 发展 | fāzhǎn | development; growth |
| 发出 | fāchū | to issue (an order, decree etc); to send out; to dispatch; to produce (a sound); to let ou |
| 发明 | fāmíng | to invent; an invention |
| 沙发 | shāfā | (loanword) sofa (CL:條|条[tiao2],張|张[zhang1]); (Internet slang) first reply to a forum post |
| 发表 | fābiǎo | to issue; to publish |
| 发动 | fādòng | to start; to launch |
| 发送 | fāsòng | to transmit; to dispatch |
| 开发 | kāifā | to exploit (a resource); to open up (for development); to develop |
Questions about 启发
What does 启发 mean?
启发 (qǐfā) means "to enlighten; to explain (a text etc)" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 启发?
启发 is made of 2 characters: 启 (7 strokes), 发 (5 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 启发 an HSK word?
Yes. 启发 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 启发 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 启发 is written 啟發.
What is the difference between 启发 and 灵感?
启发 is insight or inspiration that comes from someone or something else, like a teacher, book, or event. 灵感 (línggǎn) is a creative spark, often for art or writing, that seems to come from within.
Can 启发 be used with a person as the object?
Yes. You can say 老师启发学生思考 (lǎoshī qǐfā xuéshēng sīkǎo), the teacher prompts the students to think. It suggests guiding someone to find the answer themselves rather than telling them directly.