TongTong
Sign in

发红 (fā hóng) — to become red (of skin, face, etc.); to blush (from embarrassment)

Definition

发红 describes a face or skin turning red — from sun, heat, embarrassment, or nerves. It focuses on the change itself, not a sustained state, and pairs with 脸 / 面色 as the subject.

verb
to become red (of skin, face, etc.)to blush (from embarrassment)

Examples

  • 发红。
    Tā de liǎn bèi tài yáng shài dé fā hóng le.
    His face turned red from the sun.
  • ，发红。
    Tā tīng dào kuā jiǎng, liǎn shàng fā hóng le.
    She blushed when she heard the praise.
  • ，。
    Tā yīn wèi jǐn zhāng, fā le yí cì hóng.
    He turned red once from nervousness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

发fābecome
红hóngred

发 means to become, and 红 means red, giving the sense of becoming red.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →
Appears in
Colors

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.