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发脾气 (fā pí qì) — to lose one's temper, to get angry

Definition

A set phrase (离合词) meaning 'to lose one's temper'. Insert 了/过 or a number between 发 and 脾气 (e.g. 发了一次脾气).

verb
to lose one's temperto get angry

Examples

  • 发脾气。
    Tā hěn ài fā pí qì.
    He loses his temper very easily.
  • ，。
    Tā fā le yí cì pí qi, dà jiā dōu bù shuō huà le.
    He lost his temper once, and everyone fell silent.
  • 发脾气。
    Bié duì kè rén fā pí qì.
    Don't lose your temper at the guests.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

发fāvent
脾气temper
脾píspleen气qìqi
偏正Modifier + head

Venting spleen energy expresses losing one's temper.

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròuorgan
Sound part声符shēngfú
卑
卑bēi脾pí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

脾 uses ⺼ (a form of 肉, organ) for the meaning and 卑 for the sound.

Open 脾 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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