发狠 (fā hěn) — to make a determined effort; to really apply oneself; to get angry; to flare up

Definition

Literally “release fierceness” — in one sense it means to push hard and really apply oneself (study, work); in the other, to lose your temper and flare up angrily.

verb
to make a determined effortto really apply oneselfto get angryto flare up

Examples

  • ，发狠。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì hěn zhòng yào, tā jué dìng fā hěn xué xí.
    This exam is very important; he decided to make a determined effort and study hard.
  • 发狠，。
    Tā yì shēng qì jiù fā hěn, shuí dōu bù gǎn rě tā.
    Once she gets angry she flares up, and no one dares to provoke her.
  • ？。
    Nǐ fā shén me hěn? yǒu shì qing hǎo hǎo shuō.
    Why are you so angry? If something's up, talk it out calmly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

发fāexpress
狠hěnfierce determination

发 expresses or shows, and 狠 adds fierce determination, giving a sense of steeling oneself or flaring up.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn狠hěn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 狠, the left part 犭 is a shortened form of 犬; the right part 艮 gives the sound.

Open 狠 →

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