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发声 (fā shēng) — to produce sound, to vocalize

Definition

Verb meaning 'to produce sound, to vocalize' — used for speakers, instruments, and the human voice. Distinguished from 出声 by the intentional, effortful nature of producing sound (e.g., practice, demonstration).

verb
to produce soundto vocalize

Examples

  • 发声，。
    Tā měi tiān liàn xí fā shēng, shēng yīn yuè lái yuè hǎo tīng le.
    He practices vocalizing every day, and his voice sounds better and better.
  • ，。
    Zhè ge lǎ ba fā bù chū shēng, xū yào xiū lǐ.
    This speaker can't produce sound; it needs repair.
  • 发声。
    Yīng ér chū shēng hòu dì yī cì fā shēng shì kū.
    A baby's first vocalization after birth is crying.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

发fāproduce
声shēngsound

The 发 (produce) acts on the 声 (sound), meaning to vocalize.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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