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发情 (fā qíng) — (of animals) to be in heat; (of humans, sometimes) to experience puberty

Definition

Used mainly for animals going into heat, especially female mammals in mating season. Rarely used for humans, and then only as a clinical or derogatory term for sexual arousal.

verb
(of animals) to be in heat(of humans, sometimes) to experience puberty

Examples

  • ，发情。
    Chūn tiān dào le, hěn duō dòng wù kāi shǐ fā qíng.
    Spring has arrived, and many animals start to go into heat.
  • 。
    Zhè zhī mǔ gǒu fā guò yí cì qíng.
    This female dog has been in heat once.
  • 发情。
    Māo zài fā qíng de shí hou huì jiào dé hěn lì hài.
    Cats meow loudly when they are in heat.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

发fāemit/develop
情qíngfeeling/passion

“发” means to emit or develop and “情” means feeling or passion, so the word describes coming into heat.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →
Appears in
Biology

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