发展前途 (fā zhǎn qián tú) — development prospects; future potential (of a career, industry, country)

Definition

Noun meaning 'development prospects / future potential' — how well a career, company, or industry is expected to grow. Pairs with adjectives like 很好 or 光明 to evaluate growth potential.

noun
development prospectsfuture potential (of a career, industry, country)

Examples

  • 发展前途。
    Zhè ge háng yè de fā zhǎn qián tú hěn hǎo.
    This industry has good development prospects.
  • 发展前途。
    Tā duì zì jǐ de fā zhǎn qián tú hěn yǒu xìn xīn.
    He is very confident about his future potential.
  • 发展前途。
    Gōng sī de fā zhǎn qián tú qǔ jué yú chuàng xīn.
    The company's development prospects depend on innovation.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧝑
𧝑𧝑展zhǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

展 is built from 尸 and 𧝑. The 𧝑 part points to fine red silk clothes and also contains the idea of opening or extending.

Open 展 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú途
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

途 is made from 辶 (written fully as 辵), a walking part, and 余, which gives the sound.

Open 途 →

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