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发 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
发fāto send outHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāto show (one's feeling)HSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāto issueHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāto developHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāclassifier for gunshots (rounds)HSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāhairHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāTaiwan pr. [fǎ]HSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hairHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāTaiwan pr. [fa3]HSK 3, unknown, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fāto make a bundle of moneyHSK 3, unknown, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàto send outHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàto show (one's feeling)HSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàto issueHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàto developHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàclassifier for gunshots (rounds)HSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàhairHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàTaiwan pr. [fǎ]HSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hairHSK 3, v, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàTaiwan pr. [fa3]HSK 3, unknown, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
发fàto make a bundle of moneyHSK 3, unknown, 5 strokes, radical 又, rank #531, Easy
fā(fa1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1to send out
  2. 2to show (one's feeling)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
发(發)fā(fa1)

The character 发 (fā) primarily means 'to send out' or 'to issue.' It is commonly used in contexts like sending out messages, expressing feelings, or developing something. Additionally, it can refer to hair and is often associated with financial success when used in certain phrases.

Strokes5Radical又Frequency#531DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 发 is often associated with prosperity, especially during the Lunar New Year, where phrases like 发大财 (fā dà cái - make a big fortune) are commonly used as blessings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a postman (发) sending letters (发) out to various places. The character's left side resembles a hand sending something away, while the right side can remind you of the action of sending, helping you remember its pronunciation and meaning.

Meanings of 发

fā(fa1)
primary
1to send out
2to show (one's feeling)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 发

发Simplified
發Traditional
5Strokes
又Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#531Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1

Podcast: 发

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Podcast: 发

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AI Study Notes for 发

Quick Contrast

发 (fā) vs 送 (sòng) — use 发 when emphasizing the act of issuing or sending out something, while 送 focuses more on delivering something to a recipient.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a postman (发) sending letters (发) out to various places. The character's left side resembles a hand sending something away, while the right side can remind you of the action of sending, helping you remember its pronunciation and meaning.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 发 (fā) with other similar-sounding characters. It is important to remember that 发 is used in both formal and informal contexts. Common collocations include 发信息 (fā xìn xī - send a message) and 发财 (fā cái - make a fortune).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 发 connects with other verbs and expressions related to communication and emotions. Students should focus on its varied meanings and practice using it in different sentence structures.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 发 is often associated with prosperity, especially during the Lunar New Year, where phrases like 发大财 (fā dà cái - make a big fortune) are commonly used as blessings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 发 (fā) with 发 (fǎ), which has a different meaning and tone. For example, saying 发 (fǎ) instead of 发 (fā) when referring to sending a message can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 发

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Etymology of 发

Explanation

Simplified form of both 發 (send out; to issue) and 髮 (hair). Derived from 犬 (dog), the bottom component of 髮.

Learn more about character formation (六书)

Decomposition of 发

IDS Structure⿸？又
发Full Character
=
又you4
enclosing
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 发?

Write 发

发

Practice writing 发 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 发

发 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

你的头____很长。

Your hair is long.

Example Sentences for 发 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我发现脚下的水只有3英尺深。

wǒ fā xiàn jiǎo xià de shuǐ zhī yǒu3 3 yīng chǐ。

I found myself in water only three feet deep.
2
会上发言者的一句话让我思绪飘远。

huì shàng fā yán zhě de yī jù huà ràng wǒ sī xù piāo yuǎn。

A phrase from the conference floor set my mind wandering.
3
“我想发份电报。”——“好的，发给谁？”

“ “ wǒ xiǎng fā fèn diàn。”——“ bào 。”——“， hǎo de ，？”

"I want to send a telegram." — "Fine, to whom?"
4
首相承诺以色列将发挥积极的作用。

shǒu xiāng chéng nuò yǐ sè liè jiāng fā huī jī jí de zuò yòng。

The Prime Minister has promised that Israel will play a constructive role.
5
电影以写实开头，然后却发展成为荒诞的幻想。

diàn yǐng yǐ xiě shí kāi tóu， ， rán hòu què fā zhǎn chéng wéi huāng dàn de huàn。

The film starts off realistically and then develops into a ridiculous fantasy.
6
它的发电成本要比核电站低。

tā de fā diàn chéng běn yào bǐ hé diàn zhàn dī。

It will produce electricity more cheaply than a nuclear plant.
7
有时事情并不像我们认为的那样发展。

yǒu shí shì qíng bìng bù xiàng wǒ mén rèn wéi de nà yàng fā zhǎn。

Sometimes things don't turn out the way we think they're going to.
8
他们发行一定数量的可公开交易的股票。

tā mén fā háng yī dìng shù liáng de kě gōng kāi jiāo yì de gǔ piào。

They issue a fixed number of shares that trade publicly.
9
发电站烧的煤产自鲁尔地区。

fā diàn zhàn shāo de méi chǎn zì lǔ ěr dì qū。

The power stations burn coal from the Ruhr region.
10
我发现当我们的目光相遇时，我本能地还以微笑。

wǒ fā xiàn dāng wǒ mén de mù guāng xiāng yù shí， ， wǒ běn néng dì huán yǐ wēi。

I found myself smiling back instinc-tively when our eyes met.

Cultural Notes for 发

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, 发 is often associated with prosperity, especially during the Lunar New Year, where phrases like 发大财 (fā dà cái - make a big fortune) are commonly used as blessings.

Word Family of 发

Compounds7
废fei4to abolish
拨bo1to push aside with the hand, foot, a stick etc
泼po1to splash
茇ba2straw, thatch
盋
袯bo2raincoat
酦fa1to ferment, to brew
Words Containing This Character20
发生fāshēngto happen發生
发现fāxiànto find發現
发展fāzhǎngrowth發展
发fāto send out發
开发kāifāto develop開發
头发tóufahair (on the head)頭髮
发誓fāshìto vow發誓
发表fābiǎoto issue發表
出发chūfāto set off出發
发挥fāhuīto display發揮
转发to transmit轉發
发出fāchūto send out發出
发布fābùto release發佈
发行fāxíngto publish發行
发射fāshèto launch發射
发动fādòngto start發動
引发yǐnfāto lead to引發
发明fāmíngto invent發明
发型fàxínghairstyle髮型
沙发shāfāsofa (loanword)沙發
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 废 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 发

发 can mean 'to send out' in communication, 'to show feelings' in emotional expressions, and 'to develop' in various situations.