挥发 (huī fā) — to volatilize; to evaporate

Definition

Scientific/formal verb for liquids turning into vapor. In everyday speech, 蒸发 is more common for water-related evaporation, while 挥发 covers alcohol, paint, perfumes and similar volatile liquids.

verb
to volatilizeto evaporate

Examples

  • 挥发。
    Zhè zhǒng yè tǐ zài cháng wēn xià róng yì huī fā.
    This liquid readily volatilizes at room temperature.
  • 挥发，。
    Jiǔ jīng huī fā dé hěn kuài, suǒ yǐ píng gài yào níng jǐn.
    Alcohol evaporates very quickly, so the bottle cap should be screwed on tightly.
  • ，挥发。
    Kāi chuāng hòu, fáng jiān lǐ de yóu qī wèi màn màn huī fā le.
    After opening the window, the paint smell in the room slowly volatilized.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

挥huīgive off
发fāemit

挥 and 发 both express giving off vapor; together they mean volatilize.

Characters in this word

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 揮; 挥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn揮huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 揮 pairs 扌 (hand) with 軍 as a sound part; the simplified 挥 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 挥 →

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 →

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